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Kevin Durant's decision to remain with Nets draws reactions from Kyrie Irving, other members of NBA world

Gilbert McGregor

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Kevin Durant's decision to remain with Nets draws reactions from Kyrie Irving, other members of NBA world image

The Kevin Durant trade request saga is over.

With a month to spare before training camp, Nets general manager Sean Marks released a statement that the franchise and the superstar will move forward together, the resolution stemming from a meeting held between Durant, his management and Nets brass.

For nearly two months, Durant's request dominated the news cycle and caused a pause in the NBA world, with transactions freezing to a halt as teams waited for the superstar-sized domino to fall.

With the biggest storyline of the offseason being settled, the basketball world didn't waste much time reacting to the news.

Free agent Isaiah Thomas shared his apparent relief as the end of the saga could signal good news for players in search of their next team.

Durant's teammate, Kyrie Irving, took a more cryptic approach to potentially express his relief.

Irving opted for a gif zooming in on a smirk from Kobe Bryant, which could be a reaction to the news, a birthday wish to Bryant, or even both.

Jazz guard Patrick Beverley took a more critical approach, saying "it's dudes with families out here who haven't got a job because of this KD s—," a statement that drew a response from Durant himself, prompting a back-and-forth between the two.

In the media realm, Stephen A. Smith took a victory lap on ESPN's "First Take," standing on his claim that he "told you (Durant) wouldn't be going anywhere," along with a simplified summary of the Nets message to the Durant with their statement: "stay your behind right where you are. Period. Period."

With training camp just around the corner, Durant and the Nets will be back on the floor on Oct. 3 when they open the preseason against the 76ers.

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.