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Kevin Durant has received a lot of backlash for leaving teams when the going got tough. He was heavily criticized for leaving the OKC Thunder, for snubbing the Golden State Warriors and now for requesting a trade out of Brooklyn.
New York Times award-winning author Chuck Klosterman made an appearance on "The Colin Cowherd Podcast" to explain how Durant could turn this into a positive for him.
"What he should do is to try to harness this weakness and make it into a strength.
"Kevin Durant should say, ‘From now on, for the rest of my career, I’m only gonna sign one-year deals. I’m just gonna go to whatever team I think can put [me] over the top. I’m gonna be the ultimate mercenary. I’m gonna see if I can win eight titles in eight years.’ Weirdly, public sentiment would change in his favor!"
What Klosterman is suggesting will not happen in the next four years. Durant is still contractually obliged to play for the Brooklyn Nets or any team he is traded to until the 2025-26 season. By that time, he will be 37 years old and could already be in a state of physical decline.
However, Klosterman’s idea is not without its merits. A 37-year-old Durant may not be an MVP candidate, but he could still be useful for a title contender.
Changing public perception, however, may be a tougher task.
Kevin Durant could be with the Brooklyn Nets at the start of the 2022-23 season
Nets owner Joe Tsai, who KD reportedly asked for a trade, is expected to keep the wantaway superstar in Brooklyn until he gets the right offer.
The market hasn’t really been robust for Kevin Durant for several reasons. One of the reasons is that he may leave, yet again, when the going gets tough.
This has left Durant without a ton of options. Ultimately, he could just stay in Brooklyn and try and lead them to a title.
Kyrie Irving, his superstar teammate, has reportedly committed to playing for the Brooklyn Nets with or without KD.
If Irving is fully engaged, the Nets will be a top team capable of contending for the title.
Guess the Lakers players!
