Getty Ben Simmons (left) and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Brooklyn Nets find themselves in an interesting situation this offseason as they have to figure out how to accommodate star forward Kevin Durant’s trade request while also building a competitive roster for next season.
Durant has four years left on his contract so a trade for him would no doubt bring a massive haul in return. It’s not clear if the Nets are going to find a suitor like that that would make both sides happy, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try.
An interesting development is the fact Ben Simmons, acquired in last season’s James Harden trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, is on a designated rookie max extension, and rules permit two players with that contract to be on a roster at a time.
That would mean a trade, like one with the Golden State Warriors, would have to not include Andrew Wiggins. Another option for the team would be trading away Simmons, but the New York Post’s Brian Lewis doesn’t think that’ll be likely.
Simmons Not Likely to Go
If the Nets were planning on getting back a young star player, they would almost certainly have to let go of Simmons. However, the chances of that happening seem slim.
“That means the Nets either would have to loop a third team into the deal, and ship Wiggins there for some sort of return, or they would have to move off Simmons,” wrote Lewis. “Privately, Nets sources have intimated the latter option is unlikely. And when asked if Simmons had gotten assurances he was in the Nets’ long-term plans and would not be traded, a source close to the young All-Star told The Post simply that ‘Ben is good.'”
This doesn’t mean Durant can’t be traded, but it will make things a bit more difficult for the Nets if they plan on getting some good pieces in return. Instead, they might have to focus more on acquiring future draft picks in a trade of their superstar. They are wiped clean of picks for the future, so getting some back would be nice.
Look to Gobert
Something the Nets have working in their favor is they have a measuring stick to compare to with a Durant trade. The Utah Jazz shipped Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for four future first-round picks, Malik Beasley, Patrick Beverly, Jarred Vanderbilt, Leandro Balmaro, and Walker Kessler.
That’s a very good return for the former Defensive Player of the Year, and the expectation is the Nets would be able to get even more back for Durant.
It’ll be tough to find a team that’s willing to give all that up while still remaining competitive enough to compete for a championship. Durant clearly values winning as he named the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns, both number one seeds last season, as his preferred landing spots.
As it stands right now, it’s looking like it’s going to be a long summer for the Nets as they not only have to figure out what to do with Durant, but also with point guard Kyrie Irving.
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