How latest Kevin Durant trade rumor impacts Raptors’ chance of landing Nets star
The longer Kevin Durant stays in Brooklyn, the better we can imagine what the Nets are looking for.
On Tuesday, Aug. 16, The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported that a Boston deal centered around former All-Star Jaylen Brown appears to be the “unofficial frontrunner” for Durant among executives he spoke to. Additionally, Brooklyn appears to be using Boston to provide its second-best player as “sort of a baseline for negotiations” with other teams.
“Translation: If you’re still trying to discuss a Durant deal without putting your next best talent on the table, then just stop wasting everyone’s time and get out of this race,” Amick writes.
If you’re still trying to discuss a deal with Kevin Durant without putting your second best talent on the table, then just stop wasting everyone’s time and get out of this race, NBA executives say @sam_amick.
More about the KD competition: https://t.co/ExRxkOXaZa pic.twitter.com/Ol40ttm3eJ
— The Athlete (@TheAthletic) August 16, 2022
We already knew the Nets expect quite a lot in return for Durant, but Amick’s account helps to understand what kind of trade could look like for a team interested in the 12-time All-Star, like the Raptors.
The Raptors were mentioned as an option for Durant shortly after he requested a trade from the Nets. Recently, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Toronto was among the top three candidates to take over Durant, along with Miami and Boston.
MORE: Why Raptors should — and shouldn’t — trade for Durant
How Raptors Are Affected By Latest Kevin Durant Trade Rumors
As I detailed in July, there are a few ways the Raptors could trade against Durant.
Not only could the Raptors package around Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet or Scottie Barnes, but they also have full control over their future first-round picks. In theory, they could acquire Durant without giving up Siakam, VanVleet or Barnes by offering multiple first-round picks and using the combination of OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and someone like Khem Birch to match Durant’s salary.
That kind of deal would hurt the depth of the team, of course, but a core made up of VanVleet, Siakam, Barnes and Durant would give the Raptors a legitimate shot at winning another championship.
Since that drill, coverage shows that the Nets are eyeing Barnes if they were to make a deal with the Raptors. The problem for Brooklyn? Trading Barnes is a non-starter for Toronto. And based on Amick’s report, it’s safe to assume the Nets have no interest in a Rudy Gobert return for Durant, which is dominated by draft picks and roleplaying.
One would think that a Siakam or VanVleet deal would remain Toronto’s only hope of landing Durant.
Even then, it would almost certainly not be a swap. On July 12, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto wrote that Siakam and Trent could be a starting point for the Raptors to start talking with Durant, but “the Nets would certainly be pushing for more.” A few weeks later, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that Brooklyn turned down an offer from Boston and countered by asking about Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, draft picks and “possibly another rotation player.”
As valuable as VanVleet is, it’s hard to imagine him having as much value in the league as Brown, who is one of the NBA’s top young players. There’s not much that separates Siakam and Brown, but Brown has the advantage of being a few years younger.
Time will tell if the networks lower their asking price, but for now it remains sky high.