Top 5 possible trade destinations for Kevin Durant

When you are Kevin Durant and are available in the market, the remaining 29 teams will be going all-in for the possible signature. The Player has proved himself in the league, after playing for 15 odd seasons and winning 2 NBA titles in the process. Brooklyn Nets had a great chance to capitalize on one of the most explosive they had in their history, but sadly for their injuries and other superstars’ availability affected their chances dearly. As a result, Kevin, at the age of 33, is looking for a potential championship contender team to partner him in his quest for more NBA championships. There is no doubt that the Nets phone would be ringing non-stop inquiring about Durant and franchise demands, But Durant in particular has given 2 teams names he would like to play with next season.

 Durant will be coming in with a 4-year contract, which is very enticing for franchises with readymade Championship teams as they will easily make a strong push in those 4 seasons. Given the rules of the league, Franchises will look to take care of their cap space, available roasters spots, and also tradable drafts to land KD.

But 12-time All-star will have a host of suitors willing to sacrifice a chunk of assets for him. Nets will also have many options to choose from and they will certainly take their time as it could redefine their future. After going through Durant’s primary condition, rebuilding teams are out of the question – unless they become the 3rd or 4th team in the trade, but could not land Durant in any situation. Here are 5 teams having an actual chance of landing Durant this trade summer –

Kevin Durant looking at the conference Finalists Miami Heat

Miami Heat is known for pulling surprise deals out of nowhere and you must never count out Pat Riley. Durant reportedly has put the Florida franchise on his wish list and the Heat president knows the perfect strings to pull to get things in his way. Though Durant isn’t a free agent the strength of a potential offer from Riley could leave everyone content with the outcome.

Miami owns all but one of its first-rounders in the next seven years – a 2025 (or 2026) selection to the Thunder is the team’s only future obligation. So putting a host of draft picks in the mix is not impossible for them, but draft compensation may not be the centerpiece of a potential trade. The Heat would have to add the 6th man of the season Tyler Herro and maybe their star center Bam Adebayo in the mix to get the trade through. Brooklyn would have to simultaneously offload Ben Simmons since teams cannot roster two players currently on a Designated Rookie Extension acquired via trade, as noted by ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Phoenix Suns might have the final missing piece in Kevin Durant

Season’s top-ranked team had shown that they still have a very deep roster to incorporate the unavailability of their stars in some games. The exact thing Durant will be hoping to get – a potent support cast. He added Suns to his wish list, but in order to land the 2-time NBA Champion, the Suns would have to part ways with some of their rotational stars along with at least one superstar to sweeten the deal for the Nets.

Restricted free-agent center Deandre Ayton would likely be the key piece of a sign-and-trade package, along with 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges and a collection of draft picks. However, the Suns would have to act quickly: Ayton wouldn’t be eligible for a potential trade in the event he signs an offer sheet with another organization.

Also Read: “It was time to ditch Kyrie Irving” Kevin Durant has enough…

Damian Lillard and Kevin Durant expressed desire to play together in past

Yes, the deal seemed very far-fetched, but Lillard and Durant had shown intent to play together in the past and finally may get their wish come true. Portlanders have very little to offer other than Damian Lillard, but newest arrival Sharpe, can’t be the only piece going to Brooklyn in a move for Durant. The Blazers would also almost certainly have to throw in breakout guard Anfernee Simons. Beyond Sharpe and Simons, Portland can also potentially add in young guard Keon Johnson and/or wing Josh Hart, plus any future first-rounders not in 2024 or 2026.

It would be helpful for the Blazers if they could add another “rebuilding” team to help out with the trade. But only Damian Lillard wouldn’t be that attractive prospect for Kevin Durant. They might even have to go for adding a supporting star to keep the 4-time scoring champion happy.

Trade across city rivals New York Knicks could be a huge surprise for Kevin Durant too

New York Knicks could be another “out-of-picture” franchise in the case of the Durant trade. But Kevin Durant’s trade to the New York Knicks would be worth its weight in gold. However, upon closer review, this isn’t as outlandish as it may first appear. The Knicks just cleared nearly $30 million in cap space by trading Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, and Kemba Walker. They can offer either Evan Fournier or Derrick Rose with their want-away star Julius Randle to match the cap space.

This cap room means the Knicks could add Durant to RJ Barrett, Fournier/Rose, and rumored free-agent signing Jalen Brunson. The team could also use young prospects Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, and Cam Reddish, along with a bunch of picks the front office has picked up in the last few drafts, to keep hold of any of their stars.

Memphis Grizzlies could use former Warriors star against them

This could be the most certain trade possibility among the discussed teams. The Memphis Grizzlies are a fascinating Kevin Durant trade partner. A Ja Morant/KD combo would be elite. A Morant, Durant, Jackson trio could be deadly. But to get the trade through Grizzlies would be giving away a host of young talented rotational players.

A package of Steven Adams, Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, and maybe 2021 first-rounder Ziaire Williams or 2022 first-rounder David Roddy could make the deal work. Would the Nets do the deal without getting Memphis’ biggest potential future star (outside of Morant), though?

But If the basic trade package became Durant for Jackson, Brooks, and Bane, that would be a balanced deal on this list and would work out well for both sides. Ja and Kev might have a bit of extra workload though.

Also Read: “Grizzlies are small a threat..Mavs are BIG” Draymond Green drops Luka Doncic truth bomb that will piss off Ja Morant

Also Read: BREAKING: Kevin Durant requests trade away from Brooklyn Nets; Team finding a suitable destination