It was said that at least half of the NBA had inquired when Kevin Durant first asked to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets in late June. Durant’s list of ideal landing locations included the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns, but the Nets made it plain that they would accept an offer from any team that made the greatest pitch.
Throughout the process, the Toronto Raptors have maintained the belief that their package was solid and perhaps among the best available. They also held trade talks with the Boston Celtics, but those conversations apparently didn’t go very far.
Brooklyn has put an absurdly high asking price on it. They are looking for young players with a ton of potential, draft compensation, and All-Star type players. Although no team has been ready to even approach that, the packages may start to grow better as more teams participate.
More teams have started to surface as possible suitors for Durant in recent days. Teams have reached out, as was previously reported, and we are now discovering who those teams are. Three additional teams who are potential dark horses for the former MVP have been disclosed by Shams Charania over at The Athletic.
According to reports, the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets also contacted the Nets in late June and early July to determine the price tag, while the Philadelphia 76ers have recently shown interest in Durant.
With Durant in the lineup, all three of those teams—who are now NBA contenders—would become much more formidable. Considering that they just signed James Haraden, who wasn’t always on the same page as Durant during their time in Brooklyn, the Philadelphia 76ers seem like an odd choice.
Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that the Denver Nuggets were looking to make a large trade in order to extend their relationship with Nikola Jokic, the reigning MVP. Having Durant next to him might be just what’s needed to get them over the finish line.
The Milwaukee Bucks are unlikely to have all the necessary elements to put together a compelling trade deal. On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Durant together would be a nightmare for opponents preparing for the Bucks.