"The drama overwhelmed this group, and I think Kevin just wants a fresh start elsewhere" - NBA insider hints that the drama surrounding the Nets was one of the triggering points behind Kevin Durant's trade request, cites an away game in Chicago

Kevin Durant has been a mainstay in the headlines ever since he requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets. Things looked alright when his friend Kyrie Irving decided to opt into his contract. However, since Durant's direct trade request to the owners, the Nets are now in a bit of a predicament.

According to NBA insider Nick Friedell, the 33-year-old is looking for a way out as he is overwhelmed by all the drama surrounding the Nets. Since being traded to them in 2019, there were heavy expectations from Durant. Mainly because general manager Sean Marks had assembled a Big 3 consisting of Irving, James Harden and Durant to help the Nets be title contenders.

However, this experiment seemed to go wrong right from the very start. Speaking about how things went downhill for the Nets, Freidell said on ESPN's "Get Up" that:

"The drama overwhelmed this group, and I think Kevin just wants a fresh start elsewhere. Tim mentioned some of the key dates in this timeline. I'll take you back to January 12 in Chicago. We're at the United Center. The Nets have just dominated the Bulls, who at the time were leading the East, with James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all on the floor.

"Everybody is beaming walking out of the lockeroom. Harden sits on the press conference table and goes, 'I'm gonna give Kyrie the shot myself, because they knew if he took it, everything sets up for them to make a run for the Nets who would play really well.'"

Vince Carter, who was in the league for 22 years, popped a really interesting question. He asked the panel, which included Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps and Nick Friedell, what led to Durant not staying in the franchise and asking Irving to be traded.

As interesting as the question may sound, Kevin Durant would never ask the organization to make a trade for his friend. However, with all that has been going on in the franchise over the past five months, there were a lot of doubts surrounding their relationship. Answering the question raised by Carter, Freidell said:

"To Vince's question, why this happened and why Kevin didn't come back and say,'Let's start over here and let's make it work,' he saw all the writing on the wall, and there are way too many problems to fix, to make it work in short term and get this team to a title level."

Is leaving the Brooklyn Nets the right decision for Kevin Durant ?

Boston Celtics v Brooklyn Nets - Game Four

Kevin Durant already has a stacked resume with championships and MVP trophies to his name. He is one of the greatest scorers in the league and watching him play is a sight every basketball fan loves. Although KD hasn't been able to deliver a championship for the franchise, his stint, so far, with the Nets has been stunning.

The 33-year-old has averaged 28.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG and 6.1 APG in his two seasons with the Nets. Heading into the 2022-23 season, the Nets have a lot of things they can be excited about. Kyrie Irving opted into his contract and the likes of Ben Simmons and Joe Harris will also be back from injury.

Whether or not Kevin Durant continues to stand by his decision to move away from the Nets remains in question. But if he leaves, the former MVP is certainly going to miss a solid shot at competing for the championship.