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The sweepstakes for Kevin Durant continues to heat up as the Brooklyn Nets aren't pleased with the offers being made thus far. The organization is looking for an All-Star-caliber player, at the very least, in return for KD.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Nets have an eye on Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have yet to propose a trade involving the Rookie of the Year winner, but Scotto believes Brooklyn's interest will be piqued if they are willing to add Barnes to the trade package.
"You mentioned Toronto being the favorite," Scotto said. "If they put in Scottie Barnes, which they haven’t done to this point, then I think you have a real conversation. That’s who Brooklyn is angling for (in trade talks with the Raptors)." Scotto said.
The Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns have been touted as Durant's preferred destinations. But Miami is unable to add an All-Star-caliber player, while Phoenix cannot include Deandre Ayton in a package until January due to Ayton's recent contract extension.
This leaves Toronto in the driver's seat. However, this could very well trickle down to training camp or perhaps even the start of the season as the Nets hold all the leverage. Durant has four years remaining on his deal worth in excess of $190 million, a deal that he signed last year without any player-option added to it.
Can the Toronto Raptors trade for Kevin Durant?
The Brooklyn Nets have made their demands for a trade package for Kevin Durant clear. The franchise is looking for an All-Star, a young player and a lot of draft picks. The Toronto Raptors have all of their picks available to them from 2023 to 2029. They also have almost all of their second-round picks, too, until 2029.
The players that would likely be traded to make the salaries work are Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. These are three excellent players, but none are All-Stars yet. Barnes looks like the player with the most upside after winning the Rookie of the Year award, while Trent is one of the league's best sharpshooters.
While this would deplete the roster of the Raptors, they will still have Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam alongside Durant. It is a championship-contending team, albeit not a heavy favorite in the highly competitive Eastern Conference.
Something else that could be completely left field would be for the LA Lakers to come into this conversation by offering Anthony Davis. The Nets would be replacing an MVP-caliber player with another MVP-caliber player, albeit one who has been injury prone. However, this is just fantasy talk at the moment as the Lakers have no intent to trade AD.
Guess the Lakers players!
