Kevin Durant Trade Talks End, Brooklyn Nets Expected To Keep Superstars

After all of the trade rumors, Kevin Durant isn't going anywhere. The Brooklyn Nets met with the superstar and have decided to move forward together for the 2022-23 NBA season.

On Monday, Durant and his business manager met with Nets head coach Steve Nash, general manager Sean Marks and owners Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai. The Nets will no longer entertain trade talks regarding Durant, who asked to be dealt at the start of free agency nearly two months ago.

"Steve Nash and I, together with Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday," Marks said in a statement. "We have agreed to move forward with our partnership. We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn."

Most of the league showed interest in trading for Durant. No team came close to meeting Brooklyn's lofty asking price.

The Nets reportedly wanted a haul of first-round draft picks and at least one All-Star-caliber player in exchange for Durant.

Durant reportedly met with Joe Tsai a few weeks ago. The 33-year-old said that the Nets owner would have to choose between himself and Nash and Marks, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Tsai refused to give into Durant's request, and it appears that the biggest names in the organization will remain in Brooklyn, at least for one more season.

The Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors were viewed as the most logical trade destinations for Durant. None of those teams ever came close to acquiring the two-time NBA Finals MVP.

With Durant staying in Brooklyn, the Nets are expected to keep Kyrie Irving, as well. The Los Angeles Lakers had been considered a top candidate to acquire the point guard.

While Irving is only a year away from being able to hit free agency, Durant is under contract for four more seasons. By refusing to accept subpar trade offers for Durant, the Nets left the superstar with little choice but to return to Brooklyn for next season.

With Durant, Irving and Ben Simmons on the roster, the Nets are considered to be one of the NBA's top championship contenders.

The Celtics swept the Nets in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. Simmons didn't play a single game for Brooklyn last season.

Two seasons ago, Durant and the Nets pushed the eventual champion Milwaukee Bucks to overtime in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series.