Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts during Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs against the Boston Celtics
With the bombshell news that Kevin Durant wants a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, the team will have to find a way to move the superstar and get a haul in return.
Durant has four years left on his contract extension, which kicked in on July 1, so whatever team does acquire him will have him under team control through what could be the remainder of his prime.
The Nets will have to be looking for a big return that can help the franchise rebuild in the future considering they’ll also be looking to move Kyrie Irving another deal.
One of the most interesting trade proposals comes from The Ringer’s Dan Devine where he names the Raptors as a potential trade partner. In exchange for Kevin Durant, he has the Nets landing reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and many other young pieces.
Good Haul for KD
No matter where the Nets ultimately decide to trade Durant, they’ll need to make sure they value their franchise over him. If trading the superstar to one of his preferred spots doesn’t get the desired return, there’s no reason for them to do it.
With that said, Devine’s has a pair of Raptors proposals that certainly seem like something the team could consider.
- Nets Send: Kevin Durant
- Nets Receive: Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr. OR Pascal Siakam and Anunoby, plus multiple first-round picks and multiple swaps
Barnes is the clear headliner here as he just won Rookie of the Year and will only continue to get better as his career goes on. Anunoby is a good piece, and Gary Trent Jr. provides much-needed shooting.
This probably comes down to how dearly Marks values Barnes,” Devine writes. “If he sees the reigning Rookie of the Year as a potential franchise cornerstone who can lead Brooklyn for years to come, then maybe he’s willing to take a slightly lesser “win-now” package in favor of locking in that long-term upside.”
The other proposal would have them skipping over Barnes and instead targeting Pascal Siakam, Anunoby and a plethora of picks.
- Nets Send: Kevin Durant
- Nets Receive: Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, plus multiple first-round picks and multiple swaps
In this deal, the Nets would lose out on the promising second-year player, but they would get some players who’d instantly slot in to make the Nets contenders without Durant.
“…Masai Ujiri can instead structure the offer around a 28-year-old two-time All-NBA wing playing arguably the best ball of his career, plus Anunoby, an All-Defense-caliber swingman with potential 20-point-scoring upside,” he wrote about the second proposal.
What About Irving?
Moving Durant is one thing, but the team will also have to take care of Irving as well. After he opted into his deal with the Nets, Durant requested a trade so it’ll now be more difficult to move him.
The Lakers did show interest in the point guard before he opted in, but that was when they were under the expectation they could acquire him for $6 million. The Lakers are still expected to have interest in him, but getting him will now be a bit harder.
READ NEXT: Former Nets Starter Finds New Home With Eastern Rival