“Joe Tsai and Sean Marks should be sending bouquets of flowers to Danny Ainge” - NBA analyst credits Jazz executive for changing the landscape and making it impossible for Kevin Durant to be traded

Jay Williams stated that the Kevin Durant-trade landscape has been inflated by the Utah Jazz. He claimed they were what prevented the trade. Williams stated:

“Joe Tsai and Sean Marks should be sending bouquets of flowers to Danny Ainge.”

Danny Ainge, an executive for the Utah Jazz, has been credited for the Rudy Gobert trade.

At the time, the trade seemed to only benefit those involved. Retrospectively, however, it served a higher purpose.

After seeing what Rudy Gobert was worth, the rest of the league shook at the possibility of what Durant’s value could be.

Danny Ainge dropped Gobert for five players and five future picks. In comparison, the deep reality of just how much Kevin Durant was worth sunk in.

As a result, Williams believed the Nets’ executives owed it to Ainge for showing the league a value correction. If not for that Gobert trade, Durant may have been traded for around the same as Rudy or maybe even less.

Kevin Durant’s trade request

Boston Celtics v Brooklyn Nets - Game Four

Kevin Durant has rescinded his trade request and made it public that he plans on developing his future in Brooklyn.

This comes weeks after his trade request, in which he also asked Brooklyn to removed Sean Marks and Steve Nash.

Going forward, the Nets have agreed to stay on the same page and focus on their development into a championship squad.

Jay believes this is entirely due to the Jazz’s Gobert transaction. He is arguably correct when he explained that was what halted Kevin Durant’s trade.

Not like there was anything concrete in the works prior to it, but Durant’s trade value was merely speculation before Rudy. We all knew his value would be very high, but the Gobert standing really made it impossible for Durant to be traded.

Not too many squads would feel comfortable giving up more than five players and five picks, even if it is for Kevin Durant.

The past three seasons have not proven fruitful for Durant. Furthermore, he has not given a team a big enough reason to gut their core for him. Especially when he has not shown deep strides into championship contention.

Regardless of his lack of progress for Brooklyn, Durant probably would have received more proposals, if not for Danny Ainge and his Rudy Gobert valuation. It was after that valuation that teams started to look at what they would have to give up for a player who has yet to prove himself a leader.

Having not shown that he can lead a team well yet, Kevin Durant’s trade request went stagnant. Teams do not want to uproot their core, or their future, for a player who has shown a lack of commitment. Brooklyn was supposed to be where Durant would prove he had that commitment. Now that he has rescinded his request, maybe KD is looking to show everyone that he is, in fact, that leader.