KEY POINTS
- Kevin Durant's landing spots dwindle, with several teams reportedly backing out
- The Brooklyn Nets are reportedly hoping Durant changes his mind about a trade request
- The Boston Celtics may still pursue Durant amid their rumored concerns about Jaylen Brown’s upcoming free agency
Kevin Durant wants a trade, but it appears that this may not happen before the 2022-23 NBA season starts.
Several teams have expressed interest in landing the 12-time All-Star. But it will not be easy considering the money owed to the 2014 NBA MVP and the assets that these teams need to give up to acquire Durant.
Fox Sports' Chris Broussard said on FS1's “First Things First” that he believes three teams are out of contention for Durant: the Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. International Business Times could not independently verify this information.
Broussard added that the likely scenario could be that Durant starts the season in Brooklyn. A trade could still happen if some teams can whip up a deal that would convince the Nets to agree to a trade.
However, ESPN’s Zach Lowe reported, citing unnamed sources, that the Nets are hoping that Durant just withdraws his trade request.
As an example, Lowe cited the case of Rudy Gobert, who was traded by the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves for multiple players and assets. Given that Durant is an established player in the NBA, it may be impossible to find a fair trade value to pluck the two-time NBA champion from the Nets’ hands.
As things stand now, Durant moving to another team does not look promising.
One team that may still be in play is the Boston Celtics. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the Celtics were willing to trade a Jaylen Brown-led package for Durant. The move appears to be because the 25-year-old player could be lost after two years when he hits free agency.
On his end, Durant has four years remaining on his current deal. But the problem is that he is already 33 years old, and the injuries he has been incurring in the past years are well-documented.
A Durant trade may still happen. However, based on recent reports, this is unlikely to go down at least until the early part of the 2022-23 NBA season.
Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets dunks the ball during the first half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on November 24, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. Photo: Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images
