Kevin Durant shakes the foundations of the NBA again: he has asked for a transfer and the Brooklyn Nets are already looking for a way out for him. In 2016 he left his lifelong team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, with which he was very close to conquering the ring, and joined the champions, the Golden State Warriors. Many considered it a cowardly move, since he was leaving for the franchise that eliminated him in the playoffs the year before. Others saw it as a smart and ambitious step. Be that as it may, that transfer changed the course of the league. This could have a similar effect.
According to Tim Bontemps, a journalist for ESPN, the general manager of the Nets, Sean Marks, is already working with the player and his agent, Rich Kleiman, to find a favorable transfer for both parties. The most surprising thing is that this season his four-year extension is activated, which would mean that the team that Durant ends up with will have it until 2026.
It is clear that from Brooklyn, as was the case with James Harden’s mid-season trade request, they are going to demand a good loot in exchange for one of the biggest superstars (if not the biggest) in the competition. According to ESPN journalist Adrian Wojnarowski, more than half of the NBA franchises have already asked about Durant’s price, that is, what they would have to give as a bargaining chip to be able to get his services for the next four years.
At this point, with the news on the table and the entire competition moving to see how this transfer could affect all levels, it only remains to start studying the most realistic options. Wojnarowski assures that the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat are two of Kevin Durant’s favorite destinations, although he also affirms that the franchise will not be strictly guided by the player’s interests, but rather will seek to move him to the team from which they can obtain the best possible return. potentially historic.
From the moment the forward’s decision was announced, the speculation machine started rolling and the Phoenix Suns are, for many specialists, in the lead. The Suns are led by Chris Paul and, above all, Devin Booker, who due to his youth and talent is his most coveted piece. So much so, that he has just signed an extension for the super maximum, 224 million dollars in four years. Nobody from Phoenix would like to see the point guard and shooting guard leave, since they have built one of the most successful projects in their history (they reached the Finals in 2020) around him.
If Booker and Paul are untouchable, the trade should include DeAndre Ayton, officially a restricted free agent, and Mikal Bridges, along with other pieces like Jae Crowder, Landry Shamet or Cam Payne and future draft picks. It is not a simple scenario, but, for the moment, it is the only option that is being realistically considered in the US media. It is still very early and, given the interest of more than half of the league and the influence that the transfer may have on the rest of the teams, it does not seem that the story will end soon.
This earthquake seems to send the issue of Kyrie Irving to the background. The point guard has taken his player option and will be linked to the Nets for one more year, being the last of his contract. However, the case is not yet closed, and even less so now. The Los Angeles Lakers expressed interest in the former Boston Celtics player. LeBron James would have come to meet him to try to recruit him and get back together with his partner in the Cleveland Cavaliers, with whom he won the ring in 2016. The problem is that the Lakers have a very short squad and, a priori, they do not have with enough troops to pay for the transfer.
However, Durant’s request changes the situation radically, since Irving could, in some scenario, become part of the trade for the small forward. There is the possibility that the two continue playing together, in another franchise, although it is too early to speculate on a story that will surely bring queues and headaches to many NBA sports directors.
