That’s one way to start free agency.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant sent the NBA into a frenzy on Thursday when he reportedly requested a trade three days after teammate Kyrie Irving dramatically opted to exercise his $37 million player option.
Unsurprisingly, Durant is already generating feverish interest, with more than half of all NBA teams reportedly contacting the Nets about the 12-time All-Star, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Durant has four guaranteed years left on his contract, and the former MVP can realistically play almost anywhere, but some spots are better suited than others.
Here are the top five trade destinations for Durant.
Phoenix Suns
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The Phoenix Suns owned the best record in the NBA last season by a wide margin, but that didn’t mean much as the Suns were swept from their home floor by the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals. While Phoenix is ready to compete again, the club can’t afford to waste another opportunity while Chris Paul’s career is on the wane.
Restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton will likely be the key piece of the sign-and-trade package, along with 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges and a collection of draft picks. The Suns will have to act fast, though: Ayton will be ineligible for a potential trade should he sign an offer sheet with another organization.
Miami Heat
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Never count out Pat Riley.
The Heat president knows South Beach’s appeal to the NBA’s biggest names, demonstrated by Durant, who has reportedly put the Florida franchise on his wish list. Obviously, Durant is not a free agent and therefore has no say in where he ends up, but the strength of a potential offer from Riley could leave everyone happy with the outcome.
Miami owns all but one of its own first-rounders for the next seven years — a 2025 (or 2026) selection for the Thunder is the team’s only future liability. But draft compensation may not be the focus of a potential deal. The Heat would almost certainly sweeten the pot with rising star guard Tyler Herro, but to match the talent and salary being exchanged, they may have to add center Bam Adebayo to the offer. If they do acquire Adebayo, Brooklyn would have to unload Ben Simmons at the same time, as teams cannot include two players currently in the Designated Rookie Extension acquired via trade, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted.
Toronto Raptors
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Remember when Durant said in 2013 that he wanted to play for the Raptors growing up because they were his favorite team? This dream can now become a reality.
Toronto is in an intriguing situation when it comes to valuable assets. The franchise hit a home run with the 2021 fourth overall pick in Rookie of the Year Scotty Barnes, and the Raptors still have all of their first-round picks through 2029, according to RealGM. Barnes looks like an exceptional talent, but Durant is a generational star, and a package centered around Barnes and a slew of first-rounders and a trade of picks — supplemented by perhaps Pascal Siakam, or perhaps OG Anunoby and other salary-matching contracts — could to be enough to bring Durant north of the border.
Oklahoma City Thunder
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It seems like Sam Presti has been stockpiling draft picks forever, and there might not be a better time to cash in on them. No other team will be able to offer the Nets more draft picks in what will likely be a historic one.
Oklahoma City also has plenty of young talent to join this pick. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 23, is developing into one of the best point guards in the NBA; Josh Giddy was a triple-double threat during his rookie campaign, and this year’s No. 2 overall pick, Chet Holmgren, is eligible to move one month after signing his rookie contract.
The Thunder may have to give up all three to acquire Durant, but they’ll still have some picks to pursue a co-star for the two-time Finals MVP.
Portland Trail Blazers
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When the Trail Blazers took Shaedon Sharpe with the seventh pick in last week’s draft, questions immediately surfaced about his fit with the franchise. Portland is intent on rebuilding the roster to win now with Damian Lillard, but Sharpe, 19, is perhaps the biggest enigma in this rookie class after not playing a single minute in college. Now, though, he could be the key to pairing another superstar with Lillard.
Sharp, of course, can’t be the only figure heading to Brooklyn in a move for Durant. The Blazers will also almost certainly have to include breakout guard Anfernee Simons, though that would require somehow altering his new four-year, $100 million sign-and-trade deal. In addition to Sharp and Simons, Portland could potentially add young guard Keon Johnson and/or wing Josh Hart, as well as any future first-rounders not in 2024 or 2026.
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