‘Absurd’ 5-Team Blockbuster Trade Would Unload Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant

Getty Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at Barclays Center.

The Brooklyn Nets could look a whole lot different next season depending on how the rest of the offseason plays out.

They are currently trying to find a way to deal with Kevin Durant’s trade request while also building a competitive roster for next season. It might be easier said than done, but Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey has an idea so wild that it could work.

With Donovan Mitchell deals also being discussed, he suggests a massive five-team trade that would result in major changes around the league. The New York Knicks would land Donovan Mitchell, the Los Angeles Lakers would get Kyrie Irving and the Utah Jazz would somehow end up with Russell Westbrook.

Big Trade Idea

With the Jazz appearing to be on the cusp of a rebuild, moving Mitchell seems to be in their best interest. A good way to jump start a rebuild would be acquiring expiring contracts, draft picks, and contracts teams don’t want for even more draft picks.

This proposal would see them doing just that, and it’s also what the Nets would be doing in this deal. Here’s a look at how it all shakes out.

• Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kyrie Irving, Patrick Beverley* and Dario Saric
• Brooklyn Nets Receive: Mikal Bridges, Talen Horton-Tucker, Cameron Payne, a 2025 first-round pick from Phoenix, a 2027 first-round pick from Phoenix, a 2027 first-round pick from Los Angeles, a 2029 first-round pick from Phoenix and a 2029 first-round pick from New York
• Utah Jazz Receive: Russell Westbrook, Quentin Grimes, Cam Reddish, Evan Fournier, Jae Crowder, Landry Shamet, a 2023 first-round pick from New York, a 2023 first-round pick from Phoenix, a 2025 first-round pick from New York, a 2027 first-round pick from New York and a 2029 first-round pick from Los Angeles
• Phoenix Suns Receive: Kevin Durant and Bojan Bogdanovic
• New York Knicks Receive: Donovan Mitchell and Cam Thomas

This deal would see Irving being reunited with LeBron James in Los Angeles, the Knicks landing Mitchell as well as rising talent Cam Thomas, and the Phoenix Suns getting Durant, which is one of his preferred landing spots.

Bailey notes Beverley can’t be included until after August 30, so don’t expect this sort of trade to happen soon.

Nets Starting Over?

This trade would see the Nets ship away two of their stars, so that would effectively mean it’s time for Brooklyn to go back to the drawing board.

With Ben Simmons coming back, this could be a trade that would still see the Nets in the playoffs, but they likely wouldn’t be competing for a championship. Despite that, the haul for their two stars would put them on a good path.

“If the stars really are determined to move on, five first-round picks, an interesting young talent (Horton-Tucker), a borderline All-Star nearing his prime (Bridges) and Cameron Payne’s very movable salary ($6 million in 2022-23 and $6.5 million the following season) isn’t a bad return,” writes Bailey.

This trade would essentially give the Nets their future back while also staying competitive in the short term. If Durant and Irving plan on moving on, there won’t be many offers better than this one. Of course, this type of deal is called absurd for a reason as it’d require several teams to get on board, something that isn’t easy.

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