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The trade talks surrounding Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant have stalled for the moment. Durant made his trade request to the franchise on June 30 after a tumultuous season culminated in a first-round sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics. But the Nets have vowed not to move their star forward unless they receive a trade offer on par with a player of Durant’s caliber. To this point, they are not close to finding a deal for their franchise star.
When Durant’s trade request was first made public, he initially had a short list of teams he preferred to be sent to, which was headlined by the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. But despite Durant’s desire to make a move to South Beach, the feeling is not mutual between all the Heat players. Reigning sixth man of the year and Heat star Tyler Herro says he prefers to run it back with Miami’s same roster from last year.
“I would run it back. I think that’s what we’re doing. We brought everyone back and were one game away from the Finals. So, I would run it back,” Herro said of the potential of Durant coming to South Beach (via @betr).
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Nets Want ‘Win-now’ Assets in Potential Kyrie Deal
Despite Kyrie Irving’s affirmation to be committed to the Nets next season, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t giving up hope on a trade that would send the 7-time All-Star west. But for the Lakers, that price may be a little too steep for what they are trying to accomplish.
The Nets have declared they won’t pull the trigger on a deal for their starting point guard unless they are receiving win-now players in return, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
“The Nets’ current stance, sources say, is that they are unwilling to send out Irving in a trade if the deal solely brings back future assets. They apparently want win-now talent in return to part with Irving, despite all of the turmoil that has engulfed the Nets for months,” Stein writes per his Substack account.
“Perhaps that position changes if the Nets manufacture a trade, they like that finds a new home for the disgruntled Kevin Durant, but they have not yet wavered. The Nets have consistently rebuffed the idea of taking on Westbrook and insist they won’t be swayed by mere draft compensation … attractive as it is.
It would thus require a third team, barring a change in Brooklyn’s approach, to facilitate an Irving-to-the-Lakers move.”
Durant’s Wishlist Has Major Flaw
To this point, the teams with the most motion in a potential Durant deal had successful seasons in 2022. The Heat and Suns were the top seeds in their respective conferences, and the Boston Celtics represented the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
But herein lies the problem with Durant’s wish list. None of the teams he listed need him to succeed. And trading for him would likely require the entire roster to be blown up to satisfy the Nets’ asking price for their franchise star.
If teams have already achieved significant success without Durant, gutting the roster to land his contract would be an unnecessary move.
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