Getty Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis
Even though his surprise trade request came a mere hours before the opening of NBA free agency on June 30, Kevin Durant still has yet to be traded by the Brooklyn Nets. While every team would love to add Durant, one of the best players in the NBA, to its roster, landing him is going to take more than just desire.
Nets general manager Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai have made it clear that even though they intend to honor his request, sending Durant to his preferred destination is not their top priority in a potential deal. They want to get the best return possible in any potential trade.
In this latest trade proposal from Ricky O’Donnell of SB Nation, the Nets land a significant haul from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lakers receive:
Kyrie Irving
Kevin Durant
Nets receive:
Anthony Davis
Russell Westbrook
Taken Horton-Tucker
Austin Reaves
“All the buzz between the Nets and Lakers has been centered around Kyrie Irving if Durant gets moved elsewhere. Here’s my question: why wouldn’t the Lakers offer Anthony Davis for Durant?” O’Donnell writes.
“The Lakers don’t have enough future draft capital to get in the room for both of Brooklyn’s superstars, but the Nets’ ears would have to perk up if Davis is on the table.”
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Nets, Lakers Had Trade Talks Earlier in Offseason
The Nets and Lakers engaging in a blockbuster trade wouldn’t come as a surprise. In July, Chris B. Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that the Nets and Lakers had a preliminary conversations about a deal that would send Kyrie Irving to the Lakers and Russell Westbrook to the Nets, reuniting Durant and Irving with their ex-teammates.
However, the Nets were unwilling to pull the trigger on a deal unless the Lakers also took their sharpshooter Joe Harris. Harris is on a 4-year $75 million contract extension and has not played since last November with an ankle injury. And unloading his contract and freeing up more cap space would have the Nets better prepared for the future and a possible rebuild.
Nets Future Remains Uncertain
So what does the future hold for the Nets? That is a question they might not even have an answer to. This year, Brooklyn’s roster will look completely different than it did heading into last year’s training camp.
The most obvious difference is the absence of All-Star James Harden and the looming debut of former Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ben Simmons. Simmons has not played NBA minutes since last June when he and the Sixers were booted from the NBA playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks.
Nobody knows how Simmons will look when he ultimately makes his Nets debut. But if he can even bring an inkling of defense to this Nets squad, it will be a significant upgrade from last year’s personnel.
Durant should do a deep analysis of his situation in Brooklyn vs. what his team will look if he gets traded to another franchise. With all of the assets a team will have to surrender to acquire him, running it back with the Nets may be the more feasible option.
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