Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the duo who forced their way off the Nets earlier this month after repeated trade requests, both said the trend of star players demanding trades is a good thing for the NBA.
“I don’t think it’s bad for the league, it’s bringing more eyes to the league, more people are more expedited,” Durant said at NBA All-Star Media Day on Saturday.
“The tweets that I got in the news hits that we got from me being traded, Kyrie being traded,” he continued. “Just bring more attention to the league and that’s really what makes you money is when you get more attention. I think it’s great for the league, to be honest.”
Durant was dealt to the Phoenix Suns and Irving was sent to the Dallas Mavericks. And Irving’s answer to a similar question, of course, came by way of a series of questions.
“What’s a bad situation and why doesn’t anybody have the ability to ask for trades? That’s my question,” he said. “When did it become terrible to make great business decisions for yourself and your happiness and your peace of mind?
“Not every employer you’re going to get along with. So if you have a chance to go somewhere else and you’re doing it legally then I don’t think there’s a problem with it.”
Durant argued this trend – a hallmark of the player-empowerment era of the NBA – is more of a new twist on something that has been going on for a long time.
“Teams been trading players and making acquisitions for a long time now, when a player can, you know, kind of dictate where he wants to go and leave in free agency or demand to trade is just 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,” he said.
Irving argued the increased coverage of the drama surrounding league transactions increases the entertainment value.
“The speculation and narratives is what makes this entertainment kinda seem a little bit more important or more priority than it actually is,” Irving said. “Like, it’s my life, it’s not a dream that everyone can gossip about, I take it very serious, and most of the work that I do doesn’t get seen and I don’t know if it will ever get appreciated.”
Irving added that he has “no regrets” about leaving Brooklyn despite failing to achieve much on-court success.
“I had a plan in place where I wanted to stay in Brooklyn long term, be a Net. It was a dream come true for me,” he said. “Obviously, I wish things could have worked out for the best of all of us in terms of winning a championship and etching our names into history of the NBA. Those are big aspirations. It sounds easier said than done. But I had an incredible four years."
Irving said he has begun to reflect on his journey with the Nets but is “grateful” for the ability to move forward with the Mavs.
"Went through a lot of personal battles myself, had a unique journey. Now I get to speak on it truthfully and know that I've grown as a person, grown as a player,” he said. “Now I can move forward and reflect on the rearview when it's time, but move forward with Dallas and the teammates I have now. So I'm grateful.”