Here’s a new idea for Sean Marks, general manager of Brooklyn Nets, as he looks at Kevin Durant’s demand that the big star be sold to special teams: Going to hell with the power of players.
Say it better than that, of course. Use virtue and expertise to negotiate with Durant’s business manager, Rich Kleiman, that all can work together to reach a peace agreement. Sing a song together. Pretend the world is puppies and a rainbow if you have to. Leak, as has already happened, that Marks and Nets plan to work with Durant as they try to find the right way to return to Brooklyn.
Mention what you must do. However, the real job is to push the temptation to realize that Durant wants to play for this team or that team, the Heat or the Suns or any of the competing teams that catch his eye out of the way. Durant was part of the Nets’ power structure and partner to try to navigate the choppy waters of Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Ben Simmons and the disappointing year.
Now a treasure, a full-time professional four-year-old – four! – abandoned under contract. In fact, he is probably the most important player in the trading market when he was given those years, who reportedly went around Marks, directly to website owner Joe Tsai , wanting to get out. It is said without consulting the first Nets office all week.
No problem, Kevin. Here are some hardball for you:
· The Heat, one of the “on the wish list” team, will not sell Bam Adebayo to the Nets as long as Ben Simmons is on the Brooklyn list because no team can take two players with the selected extension of rookie. And no Bam should be equal. This is hardball, and running the Simmons now could be even more difficult, say, the Lakers progressing from Westbrook. Also, Bam / Tyler Herro / Duncan Robinson / elections were not enough, though it was possible.
· The Suns’ potential offer – another “wish list” – also includes a disproportionate compensation for a Durant status player and the many years remaining under contract. First of all, DeAndre Ayton’s brand and business would make it difficult for the Truth. Second, even Ayton, Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges and non-minority candidates have given the Durant-Booker-age-CP3 team a chance to cough up the lottery. , even for years now.
Seriously. Why in the world would you want, of course, last year’s Phoenix Suns, but with Simmons they exchanged for Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
There are a number of things happening here at once, and all of them point to, for the Internet, the need to push back in the dynamic movement that has become the movement of all-powerful stars.
First, Durant, who has a history of injuries and will turn 34 in September, has four years left on his contract. There is no chance that, if KD would have hit his MCL, or suffered serious injuries, or come back according to the suggestion, that he would have woken up one morning in Brooklyn and agree to provide some of that. money is refunded. It’s a contract. It is an agreement. She found protection in it in the event of an accident or sudden aging. The Nets should stick to what they have got – Durant for another four years, or a fair return based on Kevin Durant’s value for another four years.
The two, Nets, under Marks, sold a small amount of talent as they recruited Irving, Durant and Harden, and in pursuit of the needs of Harden, Ben Simmons. The list includes: Jarrett Culver, Caris LaVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAngelo Russell and DeMarre Carroll. That little team once made the playoffs and looked interesting in almost one star away from the real competition. They were also proud of the strong culture with a ceiling.
Now here is Sean Marks, when he was gambling everything on Durant and Irving, now he is facing his biggest player – as many do these days – wanting to come out with comments unique.
Which brings us to a third truth: GMs are expected to work for the benefit of their group but they too are, of course, working on their own. Marks, at the bottom of his heart, will not want a pick-me-up business with young players that he will not be able to see if he does not survive the post-Kyrie-and-Durant disaster.
KD was playing tough football, not caring about the Nets ‘future or Marks’ career. All right. Everyone is an adult here. But why would Marks do anything outside of him, and the interests of his team?
Marks, for many years, has been the leader of a team that went from being very weak in its choices, to promising and junior, to someone who is thought to be a competitor, to, by the change of mind of Durant, which is probably a garbage dump.
So there is one word Marks has to offer to meet this latest requirement for Durant: No wish list.
In anticipation of Durant taking this route, I had discussions this week with NBA league sources on the idea of refusing to give in to the star’s exit need. They came up with a variety of answers. Unbelief. Reminders that the stars can only shut it down, and at Simmons Nets it has an example ahead. The negative influence of a playful, but not tempting star.
But Durant’s requirements have nothing to do with Nets. Meet his hardball and theirs. Want to stay out? All right. Stay out of the next four years. Want to play somewhere? We will see. Go get the sales we want, not the first (also) one that fits your selfish needs. Looking for a ring somewhere? Yes, we saw that story before you. Just understand that we are chasing our circle, and we will not be able to move you without the pieces needed to make that possible.
Talk to the Grizzlies about whether they will part with some of their unnamed stars Ja Morant and more polls. See if, let’s say, the Atlanta Hawks could replace Trae Young with the first choice for Durant. Call Houston about all those options. Explain – and, yes, of course, this may push you – that the sideline produces two of the most powerful packages that can come from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Golden State Warriors. See if the Boston Celtics want to swap with K.D. for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown (and, in the case of Brown, then others).
Examine every thought of madness. Because K.D. because below what the Needs require is madness, more destruction, and more likely to end badly, as they surrendered to the same request of Harden.
Durant has already gone to the mattress with his GM. Now is the time for Mark to remember that he is not an individual. It is a solid business.
And Brooklyn Nets is in the Brooklyn Nets business, not the next dream of Kevin Durant.
