The Kevin Durant trade saga has been dragging on for longer than most NBA fans expected. And as per NBA insider Shams Charania, it could drag out for several months if the Brooklyn Nets do not get an offer that they like for their superstar player.
The Nets have all the leverage during trade talks around KD as the former NBA MVP currently has four years left on his contract. Had he been on an expiring contract, the Nets would have been in a rush to trade KD. But since that’s not the case, they can take as much time as they want to find a suitable deal for Durant.
Despite that, it’s been almost a week since KD requested a trade out of Brooklyn Nets. Fans are now starting to wonder if Durant will even get traded or not. NBA analyst Amin Elhassan recently provided a breakdown of why Kevin Durant hasn’t been traded yet. He subtly blamed it on Durant for naming the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat as his two preferred destinations to get traded.
Why hasn't Kevin Durant been traded yet?@DarthAmin explains why it comes down to Kevin Durant's preferred destinations. #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/jBtoSIATqd
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 6, 2022
“The only reason we’ve got a sticking point is because of Durant saying ‘This is my list,’ allegedly. Phoenix, Miami: two teams that are maybe not as flushed with assets as the Nets would like. In the case of Phoenix, they can offer every one of their draft picks for the next seven years. If you’re Brooklyn, it sounds like they’re looking for talents as well. It’s not just picks. And so, Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges don’t move the needle. Deandre Ayton, God knows what’s happening with his situation, and that’s the standoff in Phoenix. In Miami, it’s ‘Is Tyler Herro enough of a talent?’ And then, they’re limited in the draft picks they can offer because of the first-round pick that they owe to Oklahoma City as a result of the Meyers Leonard deal.”
As pointed out by Elhassan, the Nets aren’t convinced by the trade packages offered by the Suns or the Heat. So it’s only obvious they won’t trade him for something that will not benefit the franchise in the future.
Because apart from Durant, Kyrie Irving’s name is also in the headlines for potentially getting traded. This would mean the Nets embracing a rebuilding phase. In order to rebuild a team, the Nets require a lot of draft picks, which they are planning on getting in the trades of KD and Irving.
