Kevin Durant reverses course and will stay with Nets

Kevin Durant is sticking around in Brooklyn after all, according to the latest announcement by Nets general manager Sean Marks.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, Marks said Durant and Nets team brass “agreed to move forward with our partnership” following a meeting in Los Angeles. 

“We are focusing on basketball, with one collective goal in mind: build a lasting franchise to bring a championship to Brooklyn,” Marks added.

That is certainly more likely by keeping Durant, who remains one of the best scorers in the NBA. He is set to begin a four-year extension he signed last summer, and the possibility of him being traded had been the biggest story in the NBA this summer.

It’s unknown exactly why he sought a trade, which came at the end of a turbulent year in Brooklyn. A championship favorite before last season began, the Nets barely made the playoffs and then were bounced by Boston in four games in the first round.

The Nets then refused to give a contract extension to Kyrie Irving, Durant’s close friend, forcing him to pick up his option for next season, the final year of his deal.

The uncertainty around Durant’s future in Brooklyn likely contributed to the Nets being left off the five-game Christmas lineup and being scheduled to appear only eight times on ABC and ESPN.

But with Durant, the Nets can still be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. He averaged a franchise-record 29.9 points last season, and the Nets were bidding for the top spot in the East before he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for 21 games.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more.