Kevin Durant's Reported Trade Request from Nets Stuns Ja Morant, NBA Twitter

The Brooklyn Nets' championship window may have slammed shut.

When Kyrie Irving told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on Monday that he intended to pick up his player option, many thought that was a reprieve for Brooklyn when it came to the team's top two stars.

However, Charania and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that Kevin Durant has requested a trade.

Naturally, the news set social media ablaze, with Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant and Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid among those reacting:

Wojnarowski reported June 22 that teams around the NBA were monitoring Irving's situation in the belief his departure could make Durant available. That led to plenty of discourse about where KD might play next.

Now that he has formally requested a trade, let the hypothetical dealing commence:

The plot will thicken when it comes to Irving.

Brooklyn's first-round draft capital for the foreseeable future is in the Houston Rockets' hands, so general manager Sean Marks can't tear it all down and build anew. Keeping Irving would help the Nets remain competitive, but it seems unlikely he or the team will want to move forward together if Durant is gone.

This is shaping up to be a disaster for the organization. The front office parted ways with head coach Kenny Atkinson in 2020 and steadily dismantled a promising young core in order to build around Durant and Irving.

Brooklyn did all that and might only have one conference semifinals run and two first-round exits to show for its trouble.

The Nets leaned all the way into player empowerment when they signed Durant and Irving. The epic failure of their plan will serve as a cautionary tale.