Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets drives against Garrett Temple #41 of the New Orleans Pelicans
After Kevin Durant reiterated his desire to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets over the weekend, the three teams with the best chance to land the Nets superstar were said to be the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Toronto Raptors. Each of those three teams has had the most reporting of a potential deal getting done for weeks, but one team flying under the radar as a potential landing spot continues to be the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans can meet the Nets’ notoriously high trade expectations for Durant because they can deal an All-Star and a collection of younger rotation players as well as draft assets. With that considered, the Pelicans can’t actually be counted out until a deal gets done. In the latest article from Nets, reporter Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News recently shared that the Pelicans remain a major team in the mix with the fact that they have an All-Star that they can include.
Pelicans In Pursuit of Durant
The Pelicans have one of the better packages to offer for Durant, and Winfield named players that New Orleans could offer to help entice the Nets to acquire Durant.
“The New Orleans Pelicans remain interested in a deal for Durant, according to a source, and can put together a compelling package around All-Star forward Brandon Ingram, role players like Herbert Jones, Devonte Graham and Jose Alvarado, and the remaining draft compensation they received from both the Los Angeles Lakers in the Anthony Davis trade and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Jrue Holiday trade,” Winfield wrote.
A possible proposed deal could look as follows.
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Brandon Ingram, Herbert Jones, Devonte’ Graham, Jose Alvarado and a number of draft picks.
New Orleans Pelicans: Kevin Durant
The package that the Pelicans could offer is the best that the Nets might see in negotiations. Ingram is an All-Star talent who averaged over 22 points, 5 points, and 5 rebounds per game last season and could be a good pairing with Ben Simmons. Herbert Jones is one of the best three-and-d young players with a lot of upside. Alvarado is a viral sensation backup point guard that has a Patrick Beverly-like impact on games but can also score. Devonte Graham is also a scoring guard that could make an impact in Brooklyn.
Does the Deal Make Sense?
The deal is an interesting one from the Pelican’s perspective. The Pels had an impressive run to close out last season, and acquiring CJ McCollum really helped elevate them to another level in his play with Ingram. Zion Williamson is expected to make his return, and the Pelicans may be interested in seeing what their current core can do together. However, the chance to deal for Durant doesn’t come around like ever.
A starting lineup of CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels the eighth overall pick in the 2022 draft, Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, and Jonas Valanciunas. As rotation players, they would have Trey Murphy III, Larry Nance Jr., Jaxson Hayes, and Naji Marshall, which could compete in the Western Conference.
For Brooklyn, they may not get an offer of this caliber. Ingram is an All-Star talent and has potential to be a quality Durant replacement for the Nets, and they also get a haul of players in return. Jones, Alvarado, and Graham could all contribute immediately in Brooklyn.