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Kevin Durant has officially requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Durant, one of the most decorated superstars in NBA History, will command a trade package that could be one of the largest ever. Especially because the Nets planned for him to be their franchise player of the future. And after signing him to a 4-year $198 million extension last summer, Nets owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks will want an equal return on their investment.
One NBA general manager told Heavy’s Sean Deveney that the Golden State Warriors could send the Nets a huge haul in return for the 12-time All-Star.
“If you can put aside all the bitterness from the two sides, it’s the easiest deal to make of anything Brooklyn is looking at right now. You have three young players you can put into a deal — Moses Moody, (James) Wiseman, (Jonathan) Kuminga — and all of them have value around the NBA. Like, big value because they’re associated with the Warriors, they won a championship,” the GM said to Deveney.
“You don’t have to give up all three. You’ve got two rookies that teams like coming in [with] Patrick Baldwin and (Ryan) Rollins. They can’t make deals with those guys until later if they sign. They only owe one pick (in 2024) going forward, they can load up on picks. And you have a guy who can match salaries, Andrew Wiggins.”
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Durant, Warriors Urged to ‘Put Bull**** Aside’
Durant’s exit from Golden State was tumultuous to say the least. A public dispute between him and Warriors forward Draymond Green during a 2018 nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Clippers put the remainder of their season under a microscope. Things became worse when Durant suffered two catastrophic injuries during the playoffs that sidelined him. All of which contributed to him leaving Golden State in 2019 free agency.
But the NBA GM says that if Durant and his former teammates can put their dark past behind them, the Warriors and Nets could pull off a deal that benefits both sides.
“So, put aside all the bullsh** that happened when Durant left, it’s a perfect scenario. Wiggins, Wiseman, Kuminga, and a future pick and it is a deal Brooklyn would have a hard time saying no to,” The GM added.
“But Durant picked Phoenix almost because he wants to get some revenge on the Warriors after their championship. There’s a lot of BS there. I don’t think you can get past all that, obviously.”
Durant’s Commitment to Dubs Wouldn’t Need to Be Questioned
Durant had been signing 1+1 deals since he arrived in Golden State in July of 2016. After winning two consecutive titles and Finals Most Valuable Player awards, many wondered if he would re-sign with the Warriors the following summer or leave to prove that he could win a title outside of The Bay. Durant never said much regarding his contract situation throughout his final season in Golden State, which was bothersome to many people in the organization.
But if Durant were to get traded to the Warriors now his commitment to the franchise wouldn’t need to be questioned. The All-NBA forward is set to enter the first year of a 4-year maximum contract extension. But as defending NBA champions, is trading the farm for Durant worth the risk? It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out.
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