Buckle up NBA fans, we could be in for a long, bumpy ride when it comes to Kevin Durant’s trade request and the Brooklyn Nets actually moving him. There is a lot that is going to go into these negotiations and things could drag on for weeks, potentially even approaching training camp.
That isn’t all too shocking to hear, as trades take some time to come together. Smaller deals have a lot of details to comb through, so it is understandable why a deal centered around one of the best players in the league would take some time to get done.
Durant is under contract for the next four seasons and remains an elite talent. Brooklyn is looking for a huge return package, as they want a blue-chip, All-Star level player along with draft compensation that at least meets, if not surpasses, what the Atlanta Hawks sent to the San Antonio Spurs for Dejounte Murray and what the Minnesota Timberwolves traded away for Rudy Gobert.
However, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, that level of offers has yet to be put on the table. Brooklyn reportedly isn’t thrilled with the offers they have been presented with by teams around the league.
“From what I understand, I don’t think the Nets are thrilled with the offers they have gotten for Durant yet,” said Windhorst. “I don’t think that that’s a hot take considering that they’re reassessing with where they’re at. I think the reason is this: It’s somewhat known in the NBA that Durant prefers going to the Phoenix Suns and the Suns offer, what they have to offer right now just isn’t that interesting to Brooklyn. Brooklyn is interested in other things. That’s why Woj and others talking about needing a third or fourth team in a deal.”
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A straight two-team swap likely won’t meet the Nets’ expectations, especially if teams are aware that they aren’t near the top of Durant’s list of preferred landing spots. If teams know Durant doesn’t want to play with them, they aren’t going to present their best offer.
That is likely why other insiders have suggested that teams will have to get creative when making offers by including three or four teams. We are also very early in the process, which Windhorst pointed out when bringing up the Toronto Raptors, one of the teams lurking in negotiations.
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“So if you’re a team like the Raptors, for example, who we’ve heard about, who has interest and who has had some discussions with Brooklyn, the bar that you have to clear isn’t the Nets expectations, it’s what the offer is from the Suns. So, I don’t think that the premium offers that I think a lot of us in the media have sometimes jump to like ‘Team A could offer the Nets this and we list like four or five beautiful players and assets, swaps and picks and everything. They don’t often come out of the gate like that.”
These negotiations are something that is going to take a while to unfold. Brooklyn is under no pressure to get a deal done, as Durant’s contract is fully guaranteed for four more seasons without any opt-outs or options.
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The Brooklyn Nets are going to hold steady at their asking price, as they should, and wait out the other teams. All it takes is one team that gets desperate enough to offer a big haul that surpasses what the Suns are offering for a deal to gain some traction and move toward completion.
