Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets looks to pass as Bam Adebayo #13, Duncan Robinson #55, and Kendrick Nunn #25 of the Miami Heat
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant spent most of the summer going back and forth with the franchise about executing the trade request he made just before the start of the free agency period. After nearly two months of intense discussions and hard bargaining between both parties, Durant withdrew his trade request and agreed to return to the franchise this fall.
But multiple reports have suggested that even after Durant has agreed to return to Brooklyn, the Nets may not be out of the woods with the trade saga. They are a team to key an eye on early this season, especially if they get off to a slow start. In this latest trade proposal from Tyler Schickert of Fansided, Durant joins fellow Finals MVP winner Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Milwaukee Bucks. Full trade details are below:
Milwaukee Bucks Get:
Kevin Durant
Seth Curry
Brooklyn Nets Get:
Khris Middleton
Grayson Allen
2024 first-round draft pick
2026 first-round draft pick
2024 second-round draft pick (via Portland Trail Blazers)
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Bucks Have Disposable Trade Capital for Durant Deal
The Nets asking price for Durant was abnormally high, even for a player of his caliber. The Nets made it clear, as they engaged in trade talks for their franchise player, they wouldn’t accept anything less than a substantial offer in a potential Durant deal.
Their asking price was essentially two good players, and a multitude of NBA draft picks, one that most contenders were unwilling to oblige. However, Schickert notes that the Bucks have a plethora of draft picks that could give them a leg up on Durant’s other suitors.
“Including draft picks is what it would take to ultimately compensate for the gap between Middleton and Durant, despite Khris being almost three years younger than Durant, the Milwaukee Bucks would have to include some draft capital to fulfill the asking price of the Nets.
If this offer isn’t enough, the Milwaukee Bucks could include recently drafted forward Marjon Beauchamp and the deal would still be successful, but as it stands, I believe this to be a fair trade,” Schickert writes.
“Should the Brooklyn Nets disagree, the Milwaukee Bucks have a slew of second-round picks that they could also add, last season when the team traded Donte DiVincenzo, in addition to Serge Ibaka, the Bucks also received two second-round picks in the deal. Ultimately, the Milwaukee Bucks have five second-round picks in the next three years, which they are unlikely to hold on to.”
Schickert: Durant to Bucks ‘Highly Unlikely’
Durant and Antetokounmpo are two of the most prolific players in today’s NBA. And as two players who account for three out of the last five Finals MVP awards, they would be primed to compete for an NBA title. But this summer, the Nets front office showed that they have no interest in making teams better in any potential KD trades. Their focus is on getting a fair return for their All-Star forward.
While it is fun to dream, Schickert says that the chances of seeing a Durant to Bucks trade happen is highly unlikely.
“There are several pros and cons to making a blockbuster trade like this and while the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t submitted an offer to the Brooklyn Nets, it is fun to imagine what Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant would look like on the floor at the same time in a real NBA game, not an All-Star game,” Schickert writes.
“Imagining the havoc, they would wreak on opposing defenses is a fun mental picture, however, at this time, it seems highly unlikely at best, that Durant is wearing a green, black, or purple Milwaukee Bucks jersey in 2022-23.”
Durant has a lot to prove this season. It will be interesting to see how he responds to his critics.