“Being ‘The Man’ for an entire country certainly is a legacy move” - John Hollinger says joining the Toronto Raptors is the most realistic move for Kevin Durant, says it will require some haggling between Nets and Raptors

Kevin Durant’s decision to move on from Brooklyn has led John Hollinger to believe that joining the Toronto Raptors would be the best for KD’s legacy.The Athletic's NBA columnist wrote:

“Being ‘The Man’ for an entire country certainly is a legacy move.”

Toronto Raptors may be most realistic destination for Kevin Durant

After Kevin Durant was unhappy with the narrative developing around him while with Golden State's super team, he moved to Brooklyn in 2019.

With the Nets, Durant tried to build something on his own and show that he is, in fact, at that elite level all by himself. However, the experiment did not pan out, and he requested a trade last week.

John Hollinger broke down Durant’s most probable destinations, with the Toronto Raptors topping the list.

Toronto has needed an elite-level superstar for some time. Kyle Lowry, an All-Star in six of his nine seasons as a Raptor, offered a relative level of stardom. And Kawhi Leonard’s one-year, title-winning stint was as close to the city came to having a genuine superstar.

The Raptors are the only team in Canada, so Durant would be the superstar of an entire country. Fronting them into championship contention would fire up the fanbase and reignite the flame seen when Leonard played there.

Raptors fans are some of the most loyal and excitable in the league. Leonard got shown immense amounts of love for the entire season. He received it even after his decision to leave after providing a championship.

Some regarded the decision as a sour move, but the city is nonetheless thankful for the success he brought.

If Durant does that for Toronto, he could receive the acknowledgement he has long-awaited in the league. It's a recognition that he deserves to bask in, and that city is pouring with it.

The Raptors also have a great core and future picks to land Durant. Chris Boucher, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and more are all fine names to be included in a Durant trade.

Most have assumed the structure to be built around a Siakam and Anunoby trade for Durant. Other names have been tossed around and will probably be added with extra picks and lower players to round out the deal.

The Nets have made it quite clear they expect full value for KD. They are not accepting anything less than they deserve. Reportedly, they told the Phoenix Suns they would only take a trade conversation seriously if Devin Booker was on the table.

Kyrie Irving is rumored to want to leave as well, so the Nets organization is sure to leverage this Durant trade into a buildable future for them.

The Raptors have enough great players and a future of picks to deplore for KD without uprooting the entirety of their future. This, paired with Durant getting the superstar appreciation from an entire country that he has been longing for, could boil into a strong possibility.

Durant could be on his way to the 6.