Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving likely to run it back with Nets
Not all trade requests in professional sports are granted.
And though player empowerment has become a prevalent theme in today's day and age, a team's management is still going to do what it thinks is best for the franchise.
That's exactly what's taking place with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, and though Durant has fought tooth and nail to be relieved of his allegiance to the squad, the team has done little to make a trade happen.
In fact, recent reports have revealed that Brooklyn intends to keep both Durant and Kyrie Irving on its roster for the upcoming season, a reality that seemed almost impossible just months ago.
And "Undisputed" cohost Shannon Sharpe is scratching his head in confusion regarding the new developments.
Nets want KD, Kyrie to return
"[I'm at] 1,000," Sharpe rated his level of surprise surrounding the reports." "I think everybody is [surprised].
"When the story first broke that Kevin Durant had gone to the team and requested a trade, it said that Sean Marks was willing to work with Rich Kleiman and Durant to facilitate and get him to where he wanted to be. … And now it seems that they haven't gotten the resources they wanted for Durant, and now it seems very likely that he's going to turn.
"… If not both, I thought at least one of those guys was going to get traded. It was a virtual certainty. Now it looks like not only one of these guys are coming back, both of them are. Of course, the Nets want to run it back. You lose both of them, you're not getting adequate compensation in return that has the firepower, or can take you where they can. … I'm shocked."
Sharpe's cohost Skip Bayless, though, wasn't shocked in the least.
"Because Kyrie opted back in, yes I did think [he would be back]," Bayless reflected. "Because they were the preseason favorites just one year ago, and continue to make win-now moves like adding Royce O'Neale and T.J. Warren, yes I did.
"I don't like their roster, I love it," he exclaimed. "Unless you tell me Kevin's hit the wall, is getting old and out of his prime — if you tell me that then I don't love it."
Bayless opined that Brooklyn has long had the upper hand in the standoff, insisting that Durant's history of love for the game is all the evidence the Nets needed.
"I believe [Brooklyn is] betting on Kevin's basketball character," Bayless said. "In the end, he's just a hooper. … He does have a lot of off-court savvy, is entrepreneurial … but in the end, he scratches his competitive itch by playing basketball. I believe he works at least as hard as LeBron [James] in getting ready to play basketball. … I believe he'll be ready to play."
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving likely to return to Nets
