Brooklyn Nets Receive: F/C Derrick Favors, G/F Luguentz Dort, G Josh Giddey, 2023 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2023 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2024 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2024 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2024 First-Round Pick (UTA), 2025 First-Round Pick (MIA)

Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: F Kevin Durant

This trade would need to occur midseason with Luguentz Dort recently signing a contract extension. The recently signed players restriction would need to pass before it could go through.

Some will say that we’ve stretched the definition of a contender here. Others will say that we’ve outright abandoned it. They may have a point. The Thunder won 27 games last season. Are we really confident that swapping Kevin Durant in for Favors, Dort and Giddey will make them viable NBA championship contenders?

Not entirely. Still, there is a chance. This team just added Chet Holmgren. They still have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. While the former may not be ready to play a key role on a championship squad, his rim protection figures to be valuable from day one. Meanwhile, the latter must be itching to play some meaningful basketball.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Durant would instantly form one of the best duos in the league. With some additional roster moves to strengthen their depth, the Thunder could trade in a significant portion of their war chest of draft capital to make the quickest pivot towards contention that we’ve seen in recent memory.

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If not, for that matter, ever. Meanwhile, the Nets go full-on rebuild here. They may not have their own draft capital, but after adding six unprotected firsts to their collection, they may not miss it too badly either.