Kevin Durant to Nets owner: Trade me or fire Sean Marks and Steve Nash

In a face-to-face meeting with Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend, All-NBA star Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that he needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources tell The Athletic. Durant stated he does not have faith in the team’s direction, sources said.
Source: Shams Charania @ The Athletic

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
Taking questions for tomorrow’s @TheCrossover Pod w/@Howard Beck. We’ll be addressing the latest KD bombshell — any others, fire away! – 7:11 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Jumping on @CBSSportsRadio now to talk Kevin Durant and the Nets. – 6:58 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Story on today’s news is up. Kevin Durant’s ultimatum to Joe Tsai raises more questions than answers on this whole matter. What to make of all this as training camp continues to get closer: theathletic.com/3488165/2022/0… – 6:47 PM Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer
Jumping on @OverDrive1050/@TSN1050Radio in five minutes to talk about Kevin Durant’s double-down with Nets owner Joe Tsai. Join us. – 6:28 PM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose the Nets in the summer of 2019, and the Nets said “yes,” they failed to read the terms and conditions that come with these unique superstars. More for @NYDNSports nydailynews.com/sports/basketb… – 6:20 PM Bill Simmons @BillSimmons
My July 3rd BS Pod with Russillo laid out the KD/Sean Marks situation and why it was heading for a bad place.
youtu.be/mxIGkhfy6PY – 5:00 PM The Ringer @ringernba
Back in July, clairvoyant @Bill Simmons thought Sean Marks could get caught in the middle of the drama between KD and the Nets.
📼: https://t.co/PW8m8AJgs0 pic.twitter.com/Jks0tYRnPY – 4:59 PM Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Kinda over Kevin Durant – 4:13 PM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Celtics, Raptors and Heat remain most significant candidates to complete a trade for Kevin Durant sportando.basketball/en/celtics-rap… – 4:13 PM Nate Duncan @NateDuncanNBA
New Dunc’d On Prime: Another jam-packed over 2 hour episode: Eastern Conference Offseason Grades 2022; KD vs Marks. Join @Danny Leroux
and me duncdon.supportingcast.fm – 4:09 PM Doug Smith @SmithRaps
I’ve known Steve Nash for nearly 30 years and Sean Marks for about 20
Both are exceptional men who don’t deserve this shit – 4:02 PM Barbara Barker @meanbarb
Report: Kevin Durant issues ultimatum of trade or get rid of Steve Nash and Sean Marks newsday.com/sports/basketb… via @Newsday – 4:02 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @njdotcom
Kevin Durant tells Nets’ owner Joe Tsai: Trade me or fire Sean Marks and Steve Nash nj.com/nets/2022/08/k… – 3:58 PM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Kevin Durant tells Nets owner Tsai he must choose between him and the pairing Marks-Nash sportando.basketball/en/kevin-duran… – 3:57 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Durant reiterates trade demand, gives owner Tsai ultimatum: Me or Nash, Marks nba.nbcsports.com/2022/08/08/rep… – 3:49 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
The Nets won more playoff games (1) in 2019, with Kenny Atkinson as head coach and Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, D’Angelo Russell on the roster, than they did in 2022 with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the roster.
And in 2019, Brooklyn had tons of cap space and all their picks – 3:29 PM Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
Hawks, Grizzlies, and Raptors are my favorite Durant teams right now, but Brooklyn’s asking price might be too steep – 3:28 PM Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
Atlanta Hawks Trade for Kevin Durant Somehow Challenge – 3:25 PM Aaron Rose @AaronBenRose
For what it’s worth, I can’t speak to Kevin Durant being close with Nick Nurse, per se, but it does seem like he respects Nick and the Raptors. He praised the way Nurse coaches last season – 3:19 PM Ryan McDonald @ryanwmcdonald
Kevin Durant reportedly gives the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum https://t.co/Ek9JbiapEu pic.twitter.com/ALZS9QKG8s – 3:17 PM Ira Winderman @IraHeatBeat
Today’s Kevin Durant news, and the reported fact he doesn’t want to work with Steve Nash, seemingly makes the Sept. 26 start of camp a Brooklyn deadline for a deal. Otherwise . . . awkward. So at least now we have somewhat of a roadmap and timetable. – 3:15 PM Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
Durant will be 34 next season, his 16th year of service. He’s had several major injuries and fallouts with former teams.
He’s also Kevin ****ing Durant. – 3:14 PM Brian Robb @BrianTRobb
New: Some thoughts on the latest from @Shams Charania that mentions the Celtics as one of the top 3 ‘significant candidates’ to land Kevin Durant next to a pair of East rivals masslive.com/celtics/2022/0… – 3:05 PM Sopan Deb @SopanDeb
love to professionally call a meeting with my company’s owner to demand my co workers be fired after those co workers have pretty much let me do what i want.
the durant thing is amazing – 3:04 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Not sure if Joe Tsai should take advice from the guy who convinced him to pay DeAndre Jordan for $40 million and fire Kenny Atkinson to hire Steve Nash, and then trade Jarrett Allen, Caris LeVert and every draft pick possible… – 3:03 PM Alan Hahn @alanhahn
Reality: Sean Marks will get a job within seconds of being fired by the Nets. – 3:02 PM Josh Lewenberg @JLew1050
Summer of 2019: Kevin Durant signs with Sean Marks-led Nets.
Summer of 2020: Kevin Durant vouches for Steve Nash.
Summer of 2021: Kevin Durant signs $200 million extension with Marks/Nash-led Nets.
Summer of 2022: pic.twitter.com/V7D0YxFFyH – 2:56 PM The Vertical @YahooSportsNBA
Steve Nash checking Twitter today pic.twitter.com/7bPCui8b4w – 2:52 PM Cameron Tabatabaie @CTabatabaie
The Nets are in a position to compete for a title because of Durant. With respect to Nash and Marks, this feels like a no brainer. – 2:50 PM The Ringer @ringernba
Kevin Durant to Joe Tsai this morning pic.twitter.com/3RSzcrAf2N – 2:45 PM Yaron Weitzman @YaronWeitzman
Sean Marks going to end up sending KD to Sacramento for junk just as payback – 2:44 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
The mistake that KD and Kyrie made (and LeBron in LA) was not realizing that being a GM is a full-time job that a star player can’t do while also being a star player. Same reason it never works out well when a coach is also the GM. They’re both jobs that require full attention. – 2:41 PM Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
Hasn’t Joe Tsai done everything Kevin Durant wanted him to do already? Or am I crazy? – 2:40 PM Brady Hawk @BradyHawk305
With all that being said about picking between KD or the coach and GM, I’d keep an eye on the Kyrie situation again
Not a report lol – 2:38 PM Sean Highkin @highkin
Didn’t Nash get the job pretty much entirely because KD wanted him? It wasn’t even known that he was interested in being a head coach before that. – 2:35 PM Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
No mention of the Suns in that Shams article. Lists the Celtics, Heat and Raptors as the “most significant” trade partners, and also provides Tsai with a pathway to keeping KD around. Less than ideal! – 2:35 PM Shams Charania @ShamsCharania
In a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai, Kevin Durant reiterated his trade request and informed Tsai that Tsai needs to choose between Durant or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash, sources say.
Story: theathletic.com/3485297/2022/0… – 2:31 PM Mike Curtis @MikeACurtis2
It’s way too early for KD content lol. – 7:59 AM

More on this storyline

Durant and Tsai spoke in London on Saturday and sources described the discussion as transparent and professional. The meeting took place a year to the day that Durant agreed to a four-year, $198 million contract extension with the Nets and barely over a month after his initial trade request on June 30. He is now entering the first season of that extension. -via The Athletic / August 8, 2022 The Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain the most significant candidates to acquire Durant, sources said, with Boston’s package centering around All-Star forward Jaylen Brown seen as a viable deal. Tsai and the Nets have made clear privately that they will take every last asset from a team that trades for Durant, sources said. -via The Athletic / August 8, 2022 Boston gave Tatum the supermax rookie extension. He’s their designated star, even if Brown was the better player in June and has been instrumental to the team’s success. Tatum’s input always matters because they’re building around him. Brown and Smart have undoubtedly been a part of that foundation, but they’ve also been in trade rumors as long as they can remember. Not Tatum. He’s deeply entrenched, though he says he’s staying out of it anyway. “The cool part about his job is Brad don’t tell me how to do my job anymore. You not the coach,” Tatum said with a sly grin. “He lets me do my thing. I let him do his thing. In all honesty, that’s his decision and that’s his job.” -via The Athletic / August 8, 2022