Kevin Durant's trade request slammed by NBA commissioner
Las Vegas, Nevada - NBA Commissioner Adam Silver used a press conference on Tuesday to share his raw thoughts on Kevin Durant's efforts to force a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Durant is headlining the NBA's offseason drama, and Silver isn't too happy about it.
The league boss was the latest to weigh in on the 12-time All-Star shocking trade request, saying that the league doesn’t want to see a situation like the one involving Durant "playing out the way it is."
Silver was asked directly about his thoughts on Durant's move, which came despite him having only recently signed a four-year, $194-million contract extension.
The commissioner definitely didn't hold back with his response: "I don’t know whether he requested a trade or demanded one, frankly. This needs to be a two-way street. Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players, and the expectation in return is that they’ll meet their end of the bargain."
He continued: "I’m realistic that there’s always conversations going on behind closed doors between players and their representatives and the teams. But we don’t like to see players requesting trades, and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is."
Silver hopes for potential league-player agreement
Currently, Durant is under contract with the Brooklyn Nets through 2026 on a deal he signed less than a year ago.
Meanwhile, the Nets are coming off a hugely disappointing season, and Durant wants out of a team that was expected to contend for years but instead is falling apart.
The 33-year-old holds all the cards, as the full value of his guaranteed is guaranteed no matter what.
Still, Silver hopes the NBA and the National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) will work together during the next round of collective bargaining negotiations to find "remedies" for situations like Durant’s.
"It's one of those issues that as we move into this collective bargaining cycle, which we are just beginning now, we intend to discuss with our Players Association and see if there are remedies for this," Silver said.
The current collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and NBPA runs through the 2023-24 season, but it includes a mutual opt-out after 2022-23.
Cover photo: Jason Miller / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP