It has now been a month and a half since Kevin Durant dropped his bombshell trade request on the Brooklyn Nets, but the former NBA MVP still has not gotten his move.
Durant recently met with Nets owner Joe Tsai and demanded the team sack head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks for him to stay. Meanwhile, Durant’s list of desired landing spots has expanded, with Boston and Philadelphia joining Phoenix and Miami among his preferred destinations.
Elsewhere, the NBA has decided to retire the No 6 for all 30 teams after the passing of the great Bill Russell, while some NBA 2022 news has emerged about marquee games involving the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
So read on below as SBOTOP rounds up all the latest news and updates from around the NBA.
Durant delivers ultimatum to Nets, who stand firm
Amid the lack of progress following Kevin Durant’s trade request, the Nets superstar and Nets owner Joe Tsai met in London to discuss his future.
In said meeting, Durant expressed his lack of faith in the team’s direction. Moreover, he reportedly gave Tsai an ultimatum, demanding the team either trade him or sack head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks.
However, Tsai made it clear what he thought about Durant’s demand.
“Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets,” Tsai wrote in a tweet.
The Nets have reportedly set a high price in trade talks for Durant, who is on the first year of a four-year $194 million contract extension he signed last year.
Durant includes Sixers, Celtics in list of ‘desired landing spots’
As the Durant saga drags on, the superstar has reportedly expanded his list of desired landing spots, adding the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers to his initial list that included the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat.
Durant reportedly wants to play with Celtics guard and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
However, Smart would most likely have to be included in a possible deal for Durant. After Boston engaged in trade talks, the Nets asked for both Jayson Tatum and Brown, which the Celtics unsurprisingly turned down. Brooklyn then touted a trade centred on Brown, Smart, and multiple first-round picks, which Boston also refused.
As for Philadelphia, Durant appears to be open to a reunion with James Harden, who forced a trade out of Brooklyn last season. The Sixers are looking like strong title contenders after making big free-agent signings, although they are under investigation by the NBA for those deals.
However, the Sixers’ NBA 2022 odds of landing Durant with a package of Tyrese Maxey and not much else don’t seem to be too promising.
NBA retires Russell’s No 6 leaguewide
In honour of the late Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell, the NBA has announced it will be retiring his No 6 jersey for all 30 teams.
Russell, who passed away at the age of 88 late last month, becomes the first player in NBA history to have his jersey retired throughout the league.
“Bill Russell’s unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honoured in a unique and historic way,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Permanently retiring his No 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill’s transcendent career will always be recognized.”
Starting with the 2022-23 season, no NBA team will be allowed to issue No 6 to any player. But players who currently wear No 6 – like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James — are still able to do so.
Warriors to host Lakers on opening night, Grizzlies on Christmas
Speaking of LeBron James and the Lakers, they will be in action on the road against Stephen Curry and the defending champion Golden State Warriors on opening night of the 2022-23 NBA season on Oct. 18.
That means James and co. will witness Curry and the Warriors receive their championship rings.
The Lakers and Warriors also met on opening night last season. The Warriors went on to win 121-114 in Los Angeles, with Curry recording a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Meanwhile, the Warriors will also be at home on Christmas Day as they host Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
This will be a rematch of the Western Conference semi-final playoff series, which the Warriors won 4-2 en route to winning the title.
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