NEW YORK (AFP) — Kevin Durant looks set to remain with the Brooklyn Nets after holding talks with the club’s management team, the Nets said in a statement on Tuesday.
Durant, who requested a trade from the club on 30 June, met Nets chiefs in Los Angeles on Monday to discuss his future.
A statement from Nets manager Sean Marks on Tuesday indicated that the 33-year-old 12-time National Basketball Association All-Star would remain a Brooklyn player.
“(Head coach) Steve Nash and I, together with (owners) Joe Tsai and Clara Wu Tsai, met with Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman in Los Angeles yesterday,” Marks said.
“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.”
The statement appears to draw a line under the frenzy of speculation surrounding Durant’s future.
A slew of teams had reportedly been interested in restructuring their rosters in an effort to accommodate the superstar.
Earlier this month, multiple US reports said Durant had issued an ultimatum to Nets owner Tsai — telling him to either fire Marks and Nash or grant his request for a trade.
Durant’s trade demand in June came less than a year after he signed a four-year $198 million contract extension with Brooklyn.
However the 33-year-old has grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise according to reports, and was eager for a change of scenery.
The Nets had hoped to build a super team around Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
But the trio of stars was unable to turn Brooklyn into a championship contender and was swept in the first round of this year’s playoffs by the Boston Celtics.