Getty Stephen Curry defends Kevin Durant during a bout between the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Kevin Durant saga, which has unquestionably been the story of the NBA offseason, just got a whole lot juicier. As reported by The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, the former Golden State Warriors star dropped a hammer on Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai over the weekend.
KD’s decree: Tsai must either fire Nets coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks or find himself a new franchise cornerstone.
It’s a jaw-dropping ask from Durant who, once upon a time, was BFFing it with Nash during Dubs title runs in 2017 and 2018. Nash was also somebody who the 12-time All-Star consulted with before he made his move from Oklahoma City to the Bay Area.
Now, though, the two appear to be on the outs. And fanbases around the Association have been given new reason to bombard the trade machine in hopes of finding a way to bring Durant to their team. That includes the Dub Nation denizens who still have fond memories of the KD-Steph connection.
Recent reporting on the matter paints a less than rosy picture of Golden State as a legitimate destination for Durant. However, oddsmakers aren’t ready to dismiss the possibility.
Latest Odds on Warriors as KD’s Next Team
Charania only mentioned three teams as strong candidates to get Durant — the Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. That would seem to suggest that the Warriors are out of the running, at least at this moment in time.
Nevertheless, oddsmakers have kept the reigning champs near the top of their list of possible destinations in the event that the 33-year-old is sent packing by Tsai and Co.
As relayed by Spotrac’s Keith Smith, the Celtics are indeed the odds-on favorite to acquire Durant as a 4/7 pick. It stands to reason, too, considering their ability to offer Jaylen Brown as part of a return package. The C’s are followed by the Phoenix Suns, who have been given 7/2 odds.
Next in line is the Warriors at 4/1, which are the same odds that were given to the aforementioned Raptors.
Curiously, the Heat weren’t among the 12 teams listed as betting options. Of course, Pat Riley’s dearth of assets may be a factor there.
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The Dubs Could Offer a Monster Package
Whether they’re interested in making a play for KD or not — and regardless of their omission from the list of top suitors — there’s no doubting that the Warriors could tender an incredible offer for the baller.
It all starts with Andrew Wiggins; a young-ish All-Star whose salary would make money-matching a breeze in a potential deal. There’s a hurdle there, as both he and Ben Simmons were signed to designated rookie extensions (and a team isn’t allowed to trade for such a player if another is already on its roster).
If that hurdle could be cleared, though, the trade practically falls into place from there. The Warriors have a veritable bonanza of talented young players they could use to entice the Nets — Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, et al. Combine several of those with Wiggins and picks and you’re rocking and rolling.
Clearly, Charania’s sources don’t see it as a strong possibility. However, there’s clearly enough meat on the bone for the Vegas types, which definitely counts for something.
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