Kevin Durant downplays retirement threat, will play for Nets

Kevin Durant has no plans to retire from the NBA anytime soon, if the Brooklyn Nets are unable to trade him. Of course, the two-time Finals MVP is referring to Marc Stein’s report. An unknown source told Stein that Durant would rather retire than play for the Nets next season.

According to Durant himself, the report is false. In response to the retirement rumors, the 14-year veteran tweeted this message: “I know most people will believe unnamed sources over me but if it’s anyone out there that’ll listen, I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. S—t is comical at this point.”

I know most people will believe unnamed sources over me but if it’s anyone out there that’ll listen, I don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. Shit is comical at this point.

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 15, 2022

Needless to say, there’s no way the 12-time All-Star would forfeit $194.2 million. The forward signed a four-year extension with the Nets on August 8, 2021. He is projected to earn $44,119,845 with his team in the 2022-23 season. And his salary only goes up from there.

For the 2025-26 season, Durant will make $53,282,690. Plus, the four-time scoring champion loves basketball too much to retire this early at the age of 33. However, will Durant pull a Ben Simmons and sit out for training camp? It’s a possibility.

How much longer will Kevin Durant remain with the Nets?

Both Durant and fellow teammate Kyrie Irving have grown tired of general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash. Per Marc Stein, Durant still prefers either the Suns or Heat in a trade. Though, the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are now in the mix.

“If it wasn’t apparent by now, he [Durant] really wants that trade to Phoenix or Miami or maybe even Boston or Philadelphia, no matter what it does to his reputation when he hasn’t played a single game yet under the four-year, $194.2 million contract extension signed in August 2021,” explained Stein.

Per NBC Sports, trade negotiations have stalled across the league. If Durant gets traded, it will happen either during training camp or before the NBA trade deadline in 2023. Nonetheless, NBA analysts are not ruling out an in-season trade during the fall months.

Well, everyone knows Durant doesn’t care as much about what fans think. Following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Western Conference Finals series loss against the Golden State Warriors in 2016, Durant joined them and later won two NBA championships.

In 55 games played with the Nets last season, the forward averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. To add to the statistics above, Durant finished 51.8% shooting from the floor and 38.3% from downtown. He earned his fourth All-NBA Second-Team selection as well.

During the 2022 NBA Playoffs, in the Nets’ first-round series loss against the Celtics, Kevin Durant averaged 26.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Also, he averaged 38.6% from the field and 33.3% from 3-point range.