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Kevin Durant Breaks Silence on Kyrie Irving Trade Rumours

Published 06/25/2022, 12:48 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

The noise around the Brooklyn Nets keeps growing louder by the day. With the ongoing Kyrie Irving saga, fans are growing impatient about his next move. While there are still no clear signs of his future, his teammate Kevin Durant spoke about the reports. Surprisingly, the Slim Reaper said he has no involvement in the process whatsoever.

Back in the 2019 off-season, the NBA world was in for a huge surprise. After a chat at the All-Star Game in the prior season, the greatest offensive duo was in the works. The Brooklyn Nets made headlines signing both KD and Kyrie. The duo was all set to make the most of their time together.

However, things haven’t gone as they planned so far. Taking yet another early exit in the playoffs, it seems the team’s core really took a hit. And one of their biggest stars, Kyrie Irving, could be looking to leave the franchise.

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USA Today via Reuters

After being silent for so long, Durant spoke about the situation on his own podcast. The former MVP revealed how being a free agent is the most important part of a player’s career. In addition, he feels the current situation is way out of his control.

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Kevin Durant opens up over Kyrie Irving saga

The Brooklyn Nets are waiting on Kyrie’s word as his future lies in his hands. He has arguably one of the toughest calls to take in his career so far. Playing for his hometown and with one of his best friends, the seven-time All-Star likely has a mammoth amount of pressure on his head. But in the end, it all comes down to the decision he alone makes. And even Kevin Durant has no part in it.

It is heavily assumed that the best player in a team has huge control over the players. However, as someone who knows the perks of being a free agent, Durant said he has no control over Irving at all. The 10-time All-NBA member said he will let time answer the questions about the future.

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He said: “There is no involvement at all. This is a man’s livelihood. This is much bigger than me you know. Being a free agent is one of the most important times in your career. Can’t be swayed by anybody else so I just do me and wait for the time. It’s not that it can happen right now. I don’t think he can even make a decision or opt-out until the 29th. So I just kind of let things play out and see what happens.” 

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It is probably never an easy call while being a free agent. The decision likely determines how a player’s career looks in their next step forward. And Durant understands it very well due to his popular move to the Golden State Warriors in 2017.

After spending all his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, it was hard for the Slim Reaper to turn away. However, he made the tough choice and got himself in a position to win. Despite the criticism, Durant was arguably by far the best player for the team, winning two Finals MVPs in his tenure there as well.

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Now, KAI is facing a similar challenge to take on. With a $36.9 million player option in front of him, he can go either way. However, whatever his decision is, it will likely define his career ahead.

Do you think Kyrie Irving will leave Kevin Durant? Let us know your views in the comments below.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a student studying at NM College in Mumbai, aspiring to pursue sports management to follow his love for sports. Anuj started following the NBA last year, and he loves to combine his passion for writing with his understanding of basketball.
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Edited by:

Veer Badani