The Kevin Durant trade saga has been at the forefront of the 2022 NBA offseason. While multiple teams have made free agent signings and have made some significant trades, the situation with a player like KD has kept fans and pundits at the edge of their seats.
Understandably, multiple teams are interested in trading for a talent like Durant. But the superstar wants a contending team to be his next suitor, narrowing down the list to a handful of teams. Among them, the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Golden State Warriors have been the most prominent names.
While the idea of a James Harden and Kevin Durant reunion might be getting traction, according to NBA insider Sam Amick, it is the Celtics who are still the front-runners in a potential Durant trade. In a recent piece for the Athletic, Amick wrote:
“A Boston deal with Jaylen Brown as the centerpiece appears to be the unofficial front-runner here. Sources say the Nets are using the fact that the Celtics, and perhaps other teams have made their 2nd best player available as a baseline of sorts in negotiations.”
While the Nets might still be reluctant to trade Durant only for a single All-Star like Jaylen Brown, their expectations of acquiring Brown and Jayson Tatum for KD are realistically far-fetched. Instead, a trade centered around Brown along with some young players and picks might be the best route the Nets can take right now.
Given that a Durant trade will definitely dent their championship hopes if the Nets can acquire Marcus Smart along with the Jaylen Brown deal, the Nets will have a scorer and will add some much-needed depth to their roster while remaining competitive in the Eastern Conference.
Which other trade can the Nets aim for their superstar forward?
