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Kevin Durant finally commented on his trade request, its subsequent withdrawal, and his relationship with Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets front office. Fans now have some clarity on why the request was put in, and why the Nets did not want to trade Durant.
Durant told reporters on media day that the front office said he was too good to be traded. While this is correct, it is only part of what made the Durant trade improbable.
Another part of the problem concerned the lack of suitors who were offering the right value. Several franchise players around the league have inked long-term deals this offseason, and most teams weren't willing to trade their best players.
Keyshawn Johnson, on ESPN's "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," spoke about Durant's trade request:
"See, the way I operate and think about things is that if somebody does not want to be somewhere, he's asking me to fire people. Get rid of the coach, get rid of the general manager.
"What is it going to be like walking through the door, seeing these people, interacting with these people? What is that going to be like? ... But I like Kevin Durant."
Max Kellerman, on the same show, compared Kevin Durant's situation to that of Kobe Bryant:
"I will bring up the late great Dr. Jerry Buss, the greatest owner by far in the history of American team sports.
"Kobe Bryant wanted to be traded to the Clippers. Dr. Buss went up to him and said, 'Kobe, you are a five-carat diamond, I am not trading you for five one-carat diamonds. I'm just not gonna do it.'"
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons and more: Brooklyn Nets release full training camp roster
The NBA preseason is mere days away. The league-mandated opening of training day is on Sept. 27. The Brooklyn Nets released their full roster for training camp. RaiQuan Gray was the final player to be added to the 20-man roster.
Gray was selected as the 59th pick in the 2021 draft. Last season, he played for the Nets' G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. He played four years of college basketball at Florida State.
During his time with the Seminoles, he averaged 6.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 asissts in 90 games.
The Brooklyn Nets' full roster for training camp can be found below:
The NBA preseason starts on Sept. 30, with the Golden State Warriors going up against the Washington Wizards in Tokyo.
Guess the Lakers players!
