An odd but incredible 4-team trade was posed as the solution to the Kevin Durant trade by an NBA reporter from NY Daily News that saw the Nets sell very low on KD and for some reason, saw Utah walk out as the big winners in terms of draft capital for Donovan Mitchell.
The proposed trade idea will see the following moves happen.
NETS RECEIVE: G Donovan Mitchell (via UTA), F Bojan Bogdanovic (via UTA), F Mikal Bridges (via PHX), F Cameron Johnson (via PHX), 2023 first-round pick (from IND, via BOS),
SUNS RECEIVE: F Kevin Durant (via BKN), C Myles Turner (via IND)
JAZZ RECEIVE: F Joe Harris (via BKN), F Ben Simmons (via BKN), G Cam Thomas (via BKN), G Buddy Hield (via IND), 2023, 2025 & 2027 unprotected first-round picks (via PHX), top-5 protected 2029 first-round pick (via PHX), 2026 & 2028 first-round pick swap
PACERS RECEIVE: C Deandre Ayton (via PHX), G Mike Conley (via UTA) (h/t Kristian Winfield – NYC Daily)
This four-team Kevin Durant trade scenario sends Donovan Mitchell to Brooklyn https://t.co/bVIm8B5JC7
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) July 11, 2022
This trade doesn’t seem the most feasible for a number of reasons. The larger idea behind Brooklyn’s rebuild is to also re-acquire draft assets that they had lost in trying to build the team out. Trading Durant would enable that, so there isn’t any reason for them to pivot towards trying to empty out their team and rebuild around Donovan Mitchell and Mikal Bridges with no draft assets.
Donovan Mitchell’s value in this trade has been inflated to be even better than Durant’s, as Utah receives 4 picks and 2 pick swaps for Mitchell, Bogdanovic, and Mike Conley. The Nets, on the other hand, are giving up KD, Ben Simmons, and Cam Thomas for a much smaller return.
The Indiana Pacers have no need to enter this trade and can sign Ayton on their own, or deal with just the Suns. The 2023 pick they received from Boston would not be in a trade where they are signing Ayton and trading for an old Mike Conley. Too many holes in this trade for it to be realistic.
At this point, any trade involving Kevin Durant will look incredible. The Nets will definitely look for more than what this package entails as it seems heavily skewed towards the Jazz being the winners for worse assets.
