Another wrinkle has been added to the Kevin Durant trade saga. After requesting a trade ahead of NBA free agency from the Brooklyn Nets, Durant has taken things to another level. He has essentially given the organization an ultimatum, saying it is him or general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steve Nash.
Durant no longer has faith in that duo leading the Nets to the level that he wants to achieve and would like to see some changes made. If Marks and Nash are not relieved of their duties, then there is no way that Durant will return to the team.
Rarely do ultimatums like that work. More than likely, Durant will be traded before the Nets make a drastic move such as reshaping their front office and coaching staff. Nash is also the person that Durant and Kyrie Irving helped hand pick after they could not get on the same page with Kenny Atkinson, who was head coach when they signed.
Brooklyn should have no problems finding a team to trade for Durant should they not relent on his demands for changes. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, three teams remain in the running to acquire him, including the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors.
“The Celtics, Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat remain the most significant candidates to acquire Durant, sources said, with Boston’s package centering around All-Star forward Jaylen Brown seen as a viable deal. Tsai and the Nets have made clear privately that they will take every last asset from a team that trades for Durant, sources said.”
It is not surprising that the Nets are aiming to acquire as much as possible in return for Durant. He remains one of the best players in the NBA and will make any team that acquires him an instant contender.
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What is surprising about that report is that the Phoenix Suns are not on it. When he originally made his request to be traded, the Suns were viewed as the heavy favorites. But, when Deandre Ayton signed an offer sheet with the Indiana Pacers and Phoenix decided to match, it left them with very few options when it came to putting together a competitive offer in exchange for Durant.
Jaylen Brown is the best player that the Brooklyn Nets can acquire for Durant. If the Toronto Raptors are willing to include Scottie Barnes Jr., a deal with them should be attainable as well. While the Heat were on Durant’s list of preferred landing spots, it is hard to imagine them being able to challenge the other offers unless Bam Adebayo is included.
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