Kevin Durant Says He ‘Can’t Fault’ Kyrie Irving for Requesting Trade from Nets

Kevin Durant doesn’t begrudge Kyrie Irving for requesting the trade that effectively ended the Brooklyn Nets’ superteam era.

“I’m disappointed that we didn’t finish the season,” he said at the 13:05 mark of the newest episodes of The ETCs. “But I also know we’re all our own separate entities. We all move and do the things that we want to do for our careers. I can’t fault somebody for doing that even though it might have been at our expense as a team.”

Durant added he “loved playing with Ky” and “see where we could go with that” but understood Irving did what the star guard thought was best for him.

The 2013-14 MVP opened up about the Irving trade during his introductory press conference with the Phoenix Suns:

In the eyes of many fans, Irving is shouldering the majority of the blame for the Nets’ implosion. Whether it was refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, promoting an antisemitic film on social media and then refusing to apologize or denounce antisemitism or publicly angling for a max extension, he was a constant source for the kind of drama that undermined the team on the court.

Over time, Durant might reflect more on his time with Irving in Brooklyn. For now, he seems at peace with how everything unfolded.