Advertisement

'LOL': NBA players are enjoying the Kevin Durant trade drama just as much as the fans

Free agency day is typically one of the wildest days on the NBA calendar, and Thursday was shaping up to be another fun one. Then Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

After months of frustration and drama in Brooklyn, mostly centered on Kyrie Irving, Durant dropped the bomb via reports that he has requested a trade from the superteam he has spent the last three years attempting to construct.

The Nets did just about everything they could to keep Durant happy and the team in contention, from signing his friend DeAndre Jordan to a nonsense contract to trading every draft pick within reach for James Harden. Durant signed a four-year, $198 million extension last season. And yet, Durant wants to seek greener pastures.

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reports Durant has the Phoenix Suns as a preferred destination, but pretty much any contender should be interested in adding the highly malleable superstar. No draft pick is safe, though the Nets are probably going to want as many quality players as they can get since they already traded away so many draft picks to get Harden.

This is all prime drama for the NBA, and even Durant's peers on the court (at least the ones not currently employed by the Nets) are enjoying it. Here's a quick sample.

NBA players react to Kevin Durant's trade request

FILE - Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant is shown during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers at the Barclays Center, Sunday, Apr. 10, 2022, in New York. Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the seismic decision that will undoubtedly have teams scrambling to put together enormous offers for the perennial All-Star. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Kevin Durant is headed for the exit in Brooklyn. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)