What Could the Nets Get for KD and Kyrie?
Trade Scenarios for Brooklyn’s Dynamic Duo
The NBA has been looking like an airport recently. Planes — in this case, 29 teams — have been placed in holding patterns because the moves of one will impact the moves of many.
The Brooklyn Nets have the rest of the league in limbo with the dilemmas of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but the biggest question remains: what could the return look like for both of them, and is it enough to keep the Nets’ championship aspirations alive?
Kevin Durant
Nick Atwood wrote an excellent article about Durant and what he believes motivated the 33-year-old superstar’s trade request. He also mentioned the rippling effects of the Rudy Gobert trade, particularly the question of what KD’s value is now that we’ve seen the haul Gobert garnered.
Utah’s return for Gobert — five players and a plethora of picks and swaps — gave us all a gauge on what a Durant deal could look like, and reports indicate that the Nets are looking for that same package in exchange for the two-time Finals MVP.
The Suns and Heat, who were KD’s top destinations, may now be out of the picture due to several constraints. The Suns are still in limbo with Deandre Ayton’s situation, and the Heat cannot trade Bam Adebayo due to his Designated Rookie extension, as Luke Adams of HoopsRumors explains:
“An NBA team is permitted to carry up to two players on designated rookie extensions, as the Nuggets are with Murray and Porter. However, a team cannot carry two designated rookies if both of those players were acquired via trade.”
One team that has expressed interest in KD and could realistically trade for him is the Toronto Raptors. Here is a list of their guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season:
The Raptors also own five first- and four second-rounders in each of the upcoming drafts until 2029, according to RealGM.
With all of this in mind, here are my proposals that fulfill Brooklyn’s asking price and get Toronto the superstar they need.
In my view, the Raptors may not be able to acquire Durant without giving up Barnes in a trade (sorry Raptors fans). The picks will vary, but a deal like this would allow Siakam and Barnes to maintain their current roles in a new environment. Barnes wouldn’t be “the guy” with Durant in the picture, and Durant and Siakam would be a questionable fit on offense. As a result, though the Raptors’ path to acquiring KD may be easier than expected, it would require parting with key pieces.
This trade looks (and admittedly is) awkward at first glance, but as I mentioned earlier, Barnes is the key in any deal for Durant. Anunoby has been in trade rumors for a while — particularly for a big man — but he could be included in a trade with Brooklyn. Trent Jr., stands out as a shooter and scorer, and he would be an ideal replacement if the Nets traded either Joe Harris or Seth Curry (more on them later). Once again, the draft compensation is subject to change, but something like this could be another route for the Raptors to acquire KD.
Kyrie Irving
It should be no surprise that Kyrie wants to reunite with LeBron on the Lakers; from his apparent conversations with fans to cryptic messaging on social media, the evidence is there. The rumors and discussions between the Nets and Lakers have fluctuated in recent weeks, but Irving has made it abundantly clear that he wants to end up in purple and gold.
The first two trades have been speculated over the past week and arguably make the most sense for both teams.
The current hold-ups are draft compensation and the Nets’ insistence on Joe Harris and reluctance to trade Seth Curry, who the Lakers want in addition to Irving.
Despite the recent reporting from Chris Haynes, the Nets and Lakers may not be alone. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus suggests that the Spurs could be involved in order to absorb Westbrook’s $47 million salary, given that they have $32 million in cap space. This would mean a potential deal that sees Russ and Kyrie in better situations, while the Spurs — for the first time in a long time — actually help the Lakers.
Additionally, the Lakers would benefit with either Josh Richardson or Doug McDermott on the roster, as they would greatly alleviate LA’s lack of sharpshooters.
In an interview on 710 ESPN LA, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha said, “I think if they [the Lakers] were willing to do two first-round picks, Kyrie would be a Laker right now.” With that in mind, the final potential Irving trade should be the following:
Many fans claim that since the Lakers are giving up both future firsts, they should receive Curry AND Harris in return, and this trade does just that. The Lakers and Nets swap headache-inducing point guards, the Nets get ideal draft compensation (and a good young player), and the Lakers add shooters. It’s a win-win.
Conclusion
Overall, if the Nets decide to complete the deals, they could receive a combination of Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr, and a plethora of picks from the Raptors, as well as Russell Westbrook, THT, and one or two firsts from the Lakers, all in exchange for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Would those hypothetical returns, along with the Nets’ free agency signings, be enough to contend in the East? Maybe.
But would it accomplish their goal of getting rid of their superstars, starting anew, and building up another contender? Definitely. That’s what Brooklyn should be aiming for in these trades, and the sooner they get them done, the sooner the league can go back to normal.
