If anyone knows anything about demanding a trade, it’s Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant.
Durant was recently traded to the Suns after several years with the Brooklyn Nets.
His latest change of scenery came after he requested it following the departure of Kyrie Irving.
But it wasn’t the first time he asked that the Nets send him away.
"When a player can kinda dictate where he wants to go and leave in free agency or demand a trade, it's just a part of the game now. So I don't think it's a bad thing, it's bringing more & more excitement to the game."
Kevin Durant on trade requests 👀pic.twitter.com/rkIjKip0JD
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 20, 2023
Speaking to the press during the All-Star Media Day, Durant touched upon the power of players and their trade demands throughout the NBA.
Unsurprisingly, Durant thinks these requests are a good thing:
“When a player can kinda dictate where he wants to go and leave in free agency or demand a trade, it’s just a part of the game now. So I don’t think it’s a bad thing, it’s bringing more and more excitement to the game.”
Trade requests by players certainly can bring a lot more excitement to the game, but they can bring so many headaches for fans and front offices too.
Back in the summer, Durant shook the NBA world when he demanded a trade from the Nets.
That set off weeks of speculation, rumors, and news stories as the Nets considered every trade request that came their way.
In the end, Brooklyn sat pat and held onto Durant, only to lose him less than a year later after another demand from the star.
Durant is absolutely right when he said that these requests are just “part of the game now.”
It’s clear that they aren’t going away any time soon.
While the front office of a team ultimately has the final say in any trade demand, players have a lot of ability to force the hand of their teams.
When an All-Star athlete like Durant wants to leave, he can find a way to get what he wants.
NEXT: NBA Insider Makes It Clear How He Views Kevin Durant
