Nets' Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving address offseason drama and why they decided to return

The Nets had a tumultuous offseason, to say the least.

After being swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, championship aspirations for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving seemed out of reach, especially after the two were on the verge of leaving Brooklyn.

It started with Irving’s contract with the Nets. Both sides were not on the same page on a number of topics, including Irving’s vaccination status, and it led to Irving not being willing to opt in after both sides failed to come to an agreement on an extension. As a result, the guard looked to sign elsewhere.

After weeks of no deals, Irving and the organization decided to run it back for this upcoming season.

"It was one of the only times I felt embarrassed leaving the court," Irving said of the team’s first-round exit at Nets media day on Monday. "Thinking about the playoffs and how I performed in them, it gave me peace of mind knowing there’s something more to strive for going into this season. There was something different we were going to bring this year in this locker room. It was easy to make that decision to come back because I wasn’t willing to give up on something I haven’t seen all the way through."

Irving admitted that there were options for him to go to another team, but there weren’t many. And ultimately he felt it was best for him to return to Brooklyn for at least one more season. However, Durant asked to be traded just a year after signing a four-year extension, which shook the NBA world.

"As the season went on you seen what happened with our season," Durant said of his request. "Guys in and out of the lineup, injuries, just a lot of uncertainties that built some doubt about the next four years of my career. I’m getting older and I want to be in a place that’s stable and trying to build a championship culture. I had some doubts about that and I voiced them to [Nets owner Joe Tsai] and we moved forward from there."

"It’s awkward. It’s very awkward," Irving said when he heard of Durant’s trade request after deciding to opt in. "I honored his request and I understood it. There was a level of uncertainty in this building not just last season but the last few years. I echoed his same sentiments."

Durant reportedly gave Tsai an ultimatum, either the organization moves on from head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks or they had to trade him. Tsai publicly backed Nash and Marks and the Nets pursued trade partners for the former MVP.

Understandably, the Nets did not receive any offers they were comfortable taking for Durant’s services and all sides eventually ironed out their problems and decided to move forward.

"I’ve had plenty of talks with Steve and Sean throughout the season and what we needed to change as an organization," Durant explained. "They know me, they know how much I care about our teammates and wanting to win. We all jumped on the same page. We are all professionals. We know how to adapt and move forward."

According to Durant, what needed to change was the culture and the lack of accountability. He pointed to when he injured his knee in January and the then-27-15 Nets went on a freefall that included losing 10 straight games.

"My whole thing was I wanted everyone to be held accountable for their habits as a basketball player every day," he said. "I felt things were getting swept under the rug because we’re injured or this guy’s not around or just the circumstances we could have fought through that a little more and focused on the guys that were here.

"When I went out with an injury we lost 10 in a row. We shouldn’t be losing some of these games regardless of who is on the floor. I was moreso worried how we were approaching every day as a basketball team and we could have fought through a lot of the stuff that held us back. Championship teams do that."

Durant pointed to how the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks continued to win games in the playoffs with Steph Curry and Luka Doncic missing time due to injuries as prime examples of what this Nets team should be able to do without him or Irving on the floor.

Both Kyrie and KD had what they called "honest" conversations with the coaches, team execs, teammates and each other in the offseason. And while the drama behind closed doors is seemingly behind them, the Nets' top two stars feel they and the team will be better for it.

"This was the best opportunity for him and this is the best opportunity for me," Irving said. "And it’s not just about us it’s about our team."

"I got faith moving forward we all want the same things. Especially after a summer of us having a standoff. It’s going to make us better,” Durant said.

With Irving and Durant committed to this team for at least this upcoming season, and All-Star Ben Simmons getting closer to being 100 percent, the Nets are primed to make another run at the NBA Finals and give the organization its first championship.