The Brooklyn Nets appear to prefer a path where they keep both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the team heading into the 22-23 season in hopes their status as a potential title contender smoothes out a tumultuous offseason.
The Nets already appear to have buy-in on the plan from Irving, and they hope Durant relents on his trade request.
"Right now, I think the Nets want to run this team back and they're hoping Kevin Durant agrees," said Brian Windhorst. "The way they're conducting trade talks and the prices they are asking has teams out there thinking they don't really want to trade Kevin Durant anyway. They want to bring this team back. We'll see if Kevin Durant goes along with that in training camp."
Durant and Irving have yet to play with Ben Simmons, who was acquired at the deadline from the Philadelphia 76ers for James Harden.
"That's what I think the team wants," said Windhorst on whether Brooklyn starting the season with Durant and Irving is the most likely outcome. "I think the team thinks the results on the court will make everybody feel a little bit better. But I just can't get a good feel on where Kevin Durant is. He has been asked to be traded and told no, so far at least. He has asked for the coach to be fired. He has asked for the general manager to be fired. He keeps getting told no.
"Does he take all of those 'no's' and still show up to training camp? That's something I think we'll have to wait and watch."