LOS ANGELES — The Brooklyn Nets' attempts, albeit half-hearted, to trade star forward Kevin Durant have ended with the organization releasing a statement saying the two sides have reconciled.
The decision should have a significant impact on how the Lakers approach the remainder of the offseason.
"Steve Nash and I, together with [team owner] Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," Nets general manager Sean Marks said in a statement posted to Twitter. "We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."
The Nets' logo and the logo for "The Boardroom" — the name of Durant's media company — appear on the bottom of the statement.
Durant made a trade request earlier this summer, slamming teams like the Lakers into neutral while they surveyed the possible fallout from one of the league's biggest stars possibly being dealt.
Durant has four years left on his deal and can be a free agent in 2026.
By not accepting any offers — the Nets, according to sources, were seeking trade packages with young stars and multiple draft picks — Brooklyn scored a victory for ownership against player demands for deals.
The Nets, whom the Lakers had spoken with in trade discussions for Kyrie Irving, never showed interest in accepting Russell Westbrook back in a deal. There was some speculation that the Nets' stance would soften after a Durant trade or that it'd be easier to include a third (or fourth) team in a deal after that situation was resolved.
With Durant (and now almost certainly Irving) staying in Brooklyn for the time being, the Lakers' pathway to dealing Westbrook actually gets a little clearer. There are also some wait-and-see considerations to monitor when it comes to Utah and Donovan Mitchell, who have been in discussions with the Knicks about a deal.
With a more settled view, the Lakers can be earnest in discussions elsewhere around the NBA that don't involve Irving — a factor that's certainly affected their offseason since the beginning of free agency.
Sources within the organization have insisted that their options have always extended beyond Irving. Now with Brooklyn's situation settled, it's on the Lakers to figure out theirs with Westbrook.
