Getty Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have several options to consider when it comes to trading superstar Kevin Durant.
On August 22, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the Memphis Grizzlies have gotten involved in trade discussions, and some familiar faces are coming back with new offers too.
When Durant first requested his trade, he listed the Phoenix Suns as one of his preferred landing spots, and it was something that was possible at the time thanks to Deandre Ayton being a restricted free agent.
Ayton has since resigned with the Suns, and that greatly hurts the Suns chances at landing Durant to pair him with Chris Paul and Devin Booker, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying.
According to Charania, the Suns have tried to get “creative” with their offers thanks to Ayton being unable to be moved, and they’ve come up with an offer centered around Mikal Bridges.
Suns Still Trying
The Suns might not have the best trade offers to put together when compared to the Boston Celtics or even the Grizzlies, but that won’t stop them from being in the running.
Charania reports the headliner is the All-Defensive wing, and while the Suns do have a bit more they can include they find themselves behind several teams in the running for Durant.
“The Phoenix Suns similarly have dangled a package around All-Defensive wing Mikal Bridges and a handful of first-round draft picks, which has not picked up any steam with the Nets, league sources said,” he reported. “With Deandre Ayton signed to a four-year maximum contract and unable to be moved until January, Phoenix has attempted over the past month to make creative proposals to Brooklyn, possibly via three- or four-team trades where an All-Star-caliber player goes to the Nets. But the Suns have yet to find a suitable deal — and that is largely why they appear to be behind Boston, Toronto and Miami in the Durant sweepstakes.”
While the Suns do have a chance at acquiring the superstar forward, they are likely considered to be a dark horse here and fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too much. Bringing multiple teams in on a trade seems to be their best bet here, but that would make things more complicated than they’d otherwise have to be.
Boston Has Best Offer
Of all the teams interested in acquiring Durant, it would appear the Celtics have the best shot at it, even if it means the Nets have to trade him within the division.
“Among the interested teams, the Celtics have been viewed across the league as the clear-cut answer as the team that has the ingredients to make a deal with Brooklyn happen,” Charania wrote.
The Celtics have offered Jaylen Brown in a trade, but the Nets turned it down and countered with a different offer, and it looks like the talks have slowed down after that.
“When Brooklyn rejected Boston’s offer last month, the Nets countered by requesting Brown, [Marcus] Smart, draft picks and potentially one more rotation player, according to sources,” Charania continued.
The Celtics made an NBA Finals appearance last season thanks to the strong play of Brown and Smart, the latter of which won Defensive Player of the Year last season. Giving up two key starters might be too tough of a pill to swallow for the team.
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