Kevin Durant shares his thoughts on Kyrie Irving trade request

Feb 3, 2020; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets small forward Kevin Durant (7) smiles during a time out during the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Kyrie Irving’s decision to request a trade from the Brooklyn Nets effectively blew up the team, and Kevin Durant offered his first public reaction to that on Thursday.

Durant was formally introduced as a member of the Phoenix Suns, and one of the inevitable questions was about his reaction to Irving’s trade demand. Durant admitted he was “upset” that he and the Nets did not get the opportunity to finish what they started, and that it was “tough” to ultimately move on.

"I was upset that we couldn't finish. I thought we had some good momentum… It was a blow to our team."

Kevin Durant on Kyrie Irving's trade requestpic.twitter.com/xMidFSU8eL

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“I was upset that we couldn’t finish. I thought we had some good momentum. We were finally building the culture that we always wanted,” Durant said. “I didn’t know what was going on with Kyrie and his situation with the organization. I didn’t really focus on that. It was a blow to our team. It took away our identity. He was a huge, huge part of what we do.”

Irving’s trade request led to him being moved to the Dallas Mavericks, and that paved the way for Durant to be traded to Phoenix. Notably, Durant does not seem to hold any ill will toward the Nets, which contrasts with how Irving seemed to feel about the organization upon his exit.

Durant ultimately seems to want to move on, but his comments sound a lot more like one other ex-teammate’s than they do Irving’s.