Adam Silver prefers it wasn’t. The NBA commissioner held a press conference Tuesday from the league’s owners meetings. He was asked directly about his thoughts on Durant’s trade request with all of his four-year, $194 million contract extension remaining. He is not happy about it. “I don’t know if he asked for a trade or asked, honestly,” Silver said. “This has to be a two-way street. Clubs provide huge security and guarantees to players and the expectation in return is that they will live up to their end of the bargain. “I’m realistic that there are always conversations behind closed doors between players and their representatives and clubs. But we don’t like to see players asking for trades and we don’t like to see it play out the way it is.” Kevin Durant wants out of Brooklyn. (Elsa/Getty Images) Durant is under contract with the Nets through 2026 in a deal he signed less than a year ago. Meanwhile, the Nets are coming off a historically disappointing season and he wants out. On the one hand, it’s hard to blame him. James Harden is gone, Kyrie Irving has been a disaster with a teammate, and a Nets team that was expected to contend for years is falling apart. On the other hand, Durant just signed his deal. Unlike the NFL, the money is all guaranteed, and Nets owner Joseph Tsai is entitled to expect some sort of return on his investment. At least that was the point made Tuesday by Silver — whose job it is to represent the interests of team owners. He told reporters the issue would be raised during the next round of collective bargaining with the players’ union. “We intend to talk to our players’ association and see if there are any solutions to this,” Silver said. While the issue is a disaster for the Nets and a headache for Silver, it’s not necessarily bad for the league. The NFL is the king of staying in the headlines throughout the year, but no one has an offseason like the NBA in its prime. But Silver — at least publicly — would prefer things to be a little less interesting. “Ideally — the basketball was fantastic last season,” Silver said. … “I would like to focus on the game on the floor.”
