By the start of next season, the NBA might end up looking entirely different. It is quite possible that we will see multiple stars get traded this summer, most notably from the Brooklyn Nets.
It was recently reported that Kevin Durant has requested a trade, with one of his preferred destinations being the Phoenix Suns. His co-star on the Nets, Kyrie Irving, is also reportedly focused on forcing his way to the Los Angeles Lakers. Perhaps both players could be moved to their desired destinations via a three-team trade. Here is a potential trade package.
Phoenix Suns Receive: Kevin Durant
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Kyrie Irving, Landry Shamet
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Russell Westbrook, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, 2026 First-Round Pick (PHX), 2028 First-Round Pick (PHX), 2026 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Kevin Durant Teams Up With Devin Booker And Chris Paul
Obviously, this trade would feature Kevin Durant going to the Phoenix Suns to team up with All-Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul. This would make them one of the best teams in the Western Conference, as well as the entire league. Adding Kevin Durant would give them another proven shot creator and offensive powerhouse, and reduce the amount of scoring that Chris Paul has to do.
The Phoenix Suns would have to send out Deandre Ayton (sign and trade), Mikal Bridges, Landry Shamet, and two first-round picks in this scenario, and there is no doubt that this is a good price to pay for one of the league’s top superstars. While both Ayton and Mikal Bridges are elite players at their positions, neither of them is as good as Kevin Durant. The increased star power the Suns would get is absolutely worth it.
There is no question that Kevin Durant is the type of player you risk giving up a lot of assets for. He is a top-5 player in the league, and those types of players are not often traded. If the Suns have a chance to get a superstar, they should absolutely do so, and it’s clear that they do have a solid chance of getting Kevin Durant.
Kyrie Irving Reunites With LeBron James
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James notably won a championship in 2016, beating the best regular season of all-time in the 73-9 Golden State Warriors. Perhaps a reunion could help both of them have a better chance of winning in the future. A big three of Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and LeBron James would make for a dangerous team, and it seems as though the chances of that happening are more likely than they were before.
In this scenario, the Los Angeles Lakers would have to send out Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick to get Kyrie Irving. Considering the fact that Kyrie Irving is on an expiring contract, that could be enough to get him. Russell Westbrook is also on an expiring contract, and the 2026 first-round pick the Lakers would theoretically send out could be valuable 4 years from now once the Lakers’ big three have aged. Asides from Kyrie Irving, they would also be getting Landry Shamet, who is a solid shooter.
It remains to be seen if the Los Angeles Lakers do end up pulling off a Kyrie Irving trade. However, if it is possible, they should absolutely do so. Kyrie Irving would give the Los Angeles Lakers the clutch-time shot-creator that they need, and perhaps he and LeBron James can win another ring together on the Lakers.
Nets Get Giant Package For Their Stars
The Brooklyn Nets are in a tough position because no trade for a star ever really returns a fair value. However, the best thing in that scenario would be to amass assets for their stars, which they would be doing here.
The key appeal of this trade scenario would be big man Deandre Ayton, and there’s no question that he has star potential. While he was the No. 3 option on the Phoenix Suns, he would likely be the No. 1 option for the Brooklyn Nets. Mikal Bridges would give the Brooklyn Nets an elite 3 and D wing, who still has upside in terms of scoring. They would also get three first-round picks, with all of them potentially being very valuable. Russell Westbrook would be sent out to fulfill salary matching requirements, but he could potentially be a veteran leader for the Brooklyn Nets’ future young core. He is still a solid point guard in the right role.
The Brooklyn Nets wouldn’t be contenders if they received this package, but they would have a lot of players that are young and not yet in their prime, as well as a good number of draft picks. They would be adding this package while retaining All-Star Ben Simmons as well. It is quite possible that they would become one of the dominant teams of tomorrow if they were to get this package, and we’ll see what they decide to do regarding the future of their stars.
