Getty Kevin Durant and Draymond Green react to a play in a Golden State Warriors game.
Kevin Durant could once again be headed to a Golden State Warriors rival.
The player whose Oklahoma City Thunder once challenged the Warriors for Western Conference supremacy before joining the Warriors has now been linked to an emerging rival. The Athletic’s Shams Charania that the Memphis Grizzlies have entered the Durant sweepstakes, and could hold an advantage over the other reported suitors. The Grizzlies are on the rise in the Western Conference, and a trade for Durant could help them vault the Warriors for favorites to make the NBA Finals.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
Grizzlies Show Interest in Durant
As Charania reported, the Grizzlies have recently shown interest in landing Durant from the Brooklyn Nets and could use an asset from the Warriors are part of a trade package.
“Fresh off a 56-win season, the Grizzlies have made new inquiries to the Nets about Durant, those sources added,” Charania reported. “Memphis has five first-round draft picks available (four unprotected selections of its own and one protected via Golden State in 2024) to theoretically utilize in a trade as well as young players like Jaren Jackson Jr., Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, Brandon Clarke, Kennedy Chandler and David Roddy.”
A new Western Conference contender is expressing interest in Kevin Durant – fresh Inside Pass at @TheAthletic breaking down the latest on the Nets star:
The Grizzlies have become a top rival for Golden State, meeting them in each of the last two postseasons. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors in the 2021 play-in tournament to keep them out of the playoff bracket, and Golden State returned the favor in this year’s playoffs, defeating them in six games in the Western Conference semifinal.
The animosity between the teams continued after the series, with Warriors big man Draymond Green and Grizzlies star Ja Morant getting into an extended spat on social media. The NBA has apparently taken notice of the burgeoning rivalry, scheduling the Warriors to host the Grizzlies in a Christmas Day game.
Durant Wants Trade
Weeks after Durant initially asked the Nets for a trade, he met face-to-face with owner Joe Tsai to reiterate his request. As The Athletic’s Charania reported, Durant told Tsai he did not have faith in the team’s direction and asked to choose between him or the pairing of general manager Sean Marks and coach Steve Nash.
The Grizzlies have made ‘new inquiries’ to the Nets in trading for Kevin Durant, per @ShamsCharania
Memphis has five first-round draft picks they can include in a trade
The Boston Celtics have been seen as a top suitor for Durant, offering a package focused around All-Star forward Jaylen Brown. The Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat have also shown interest, though there does not appear to be significant movement toward any deal.
The Warriors were also named as an interested team, but a league executive told Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett that Golden State is more concerned about Durant landing with one of their rivals.
“I think they’re worried about where KD might wind up,” the executive told Bulpett. “(The Warriors) are in a good spot. They’ve got young guys behind their veterans, and they could be really good for a long time, so I’m not sure they really want KD. But I think they’re worried he might go someplace and beat them — if that team isn’t all depleted from what they have to do to get him.”
READ NEXT: Draymond Green Says Warriors Rookie Can Become ‘Perennial All-Star’