Suns' Kevin Durant Says He Requested Nets Trade Once Kyrie Irving Asked Out

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant said he asked for a trade from the Brooklyn Nets once Kyrie Irving left the team in a trade to the Dallas Mavericks.

"Once he asked out, I was just trying to figure out what direction the team is going in," Durant told Shams Charania of The Athletic. "Once I had no understanding of what direction we're going in, I tried to make the best decision for me."

Irving requested a trade in February and was eventually dealt to the Mavericks in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and three draft picks. Four days later, Durant was traded to the Suns.

It represented the end of a failed experiment that began when the two superstars joined the Nets in 2019. The squad only won one playoff series while Durant and Irving were in Brooklyn.

The Nets might have remained a contender this year even after trading Irving. Mikal Bridges, who came over in the trade for Durant, has helped the squad remain in the playoff picture with a 41-35 record entering Thursday. A squad with Durant, Dinwiddie, Finney-Smith and others could have been just as dangerous.

However, it's clear Durant wanted a fresh start with a new team, and he got that with Phoenix.

The 34-year-old had requested a trade away from Brooklyn in the offseason before deciding to return. Irving's departure was apparently the push he needed to once again ask for a move.