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Former Warrior Kevin Durant vs. former Warrior Steve Nash

The saga continues

Kevin Durant warming up while with the Warriors while Steve Nash watches on Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors are, gratefully, in the middle of streak almost entirely devoid of drama. Draymond Green wanting to be compensated for being one of the best players of his generation is the closest thing the team has to a TMZ segment for their offseason.

So we’re forced to look elsewhere.

And the most dramatic story in the NBA right now just happens to include two former Warriors: their former superstar and two-time Finals MVP, Kevin Durant, and their former consultant, Steve Nash.

Durant has been the story of the offseason in the league. Just a few years after signing with the Brooklyn Nets alongside his best friend Kyrie Irving, Durant — a few months removed from getting swept out of the first round of the playoffs — asked for a trade. After nothing of note materialized, it looked like KD would have to play out the first season of a four-year extension he signed in 2021.

But perhaps not. The drama has reared its head again, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the former MVP met with Nets owner Joe Tsai, asking the billionaire to either fire GM Sean Marks and head coach Nash, or trade him.

Shortly after that report was published, Tsai took to social media to make his stance clear.

There is a lot of irony in Durant wanting Nash — whose time with the Warriors overlapped with KD’s — to be axed. I could spend a lot of words trying to poke fun at it, but my friend and colleague put it succinctly and perfectly.

For those keeping score at home, the “good coach” is now-Warriors lead assistant Kenny Atkinson, who was the Nets coach when Durant and Irving first joined, but was fired before the first season of the superstar pairing. The “bad center” is DeAndre Jordan, who was signed because that was part of the deal to land the two stars. And the “good center” is Jarrett Allen, the Nets young homegrown center who is now an All-Star with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Head hurt yet?

So now it would seem that one of the two is out: the superstar who is one of the greatest players in NBA history, but who can’t seem to make up his mind about what he wants or find satisfaction anywhere, or the coach who we’re still not sure is good or not, but has done nothing wrong in this situation.

Or perhaps the Nets will wipe the slate clean and start over by ousting both. Or maybe they call Durant’s bluff — he’s under contract through 2026, after all — and start the year with both.

We’ll find out soon enough. For now, enjoy that there’s drama deep in the doldrums of the offseason ... and enjoy that it only involves former Warriors, not current ones.

Poll

Who will be on the Nets on Opening Night?

This poll is closed

  • 8%
    Just Kevin Durant
    (74 votes)
  • 24%
    Just Steve Nash
    (222 votes)
  • 61%
    Both Durant and Nash
    (566 votes)
  • 5%
    Neither Durant nor Nash
    (52 votes)
914 votes total Vote Now

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