Nets hoping to trade Kevin Durant but deal not imminent: report

There has been no traction on any Kevin Durant trade now a lot more than two-and-a-50 percent weeks taken off from his June 30 request for the Nets to deal him to just one of his favored destinations.

The most recent updates from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski don’t deliver a great deal new facts: The Nets want the kitchen sink, the stove and oven, the refrigerator, the island and the floorboards in any offer for the two-time NBA Finals MVP, and most teams have been unwilling to satisfy Brooklyn’s asking selling price for the reason that accomplishing so could really well take away them from championship contention following attaining Durant in a trade.

Which usually means the Nets and Durant could be in stalemate territory: It is unclear if Durant would take into account rescinding his trade ask for and returning to Brooklyn amicably. If he is company in his request out of Brooklyn, this scenario could drag into September schooling camp. Try to remember: The Rockets infamously dragged James Harden’s trade request into the normal time prior to Harden made factors awkward in media availabilities. Houston ultimately conceded and traded Harden to Brooklyn.

But it price tag the Nets immensely: Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince had been concerned in the Harden offer, as ended up the legal rights to each and every recognizable draft decide via 2026. Rudy Gobert’s trade to Minnesota and Dejounte Murray’s trade to Atlanta reset the trade market. Number of if any groups have the means to pull off a offer for Durant and however have the pieces to compete for a championship.

“Brooklyn has an owner in Joe Tsai who, in my perception, is not fascinated in getting a diminished trade package deal to just move [Kevin Durant] on,” Wojnarowski reported on ESPN’s Get Up on Monday. “And I assume as prolonged as you have an operator fully commited to finding the variety of trade package you want, you can perform this out more than time, and which is my sense in Brooklyn.”

Woj also explained the Miami Warmth remain “a really motivated team” in the Durant sweepstakes, but a deal with Miami stays difficult and would likely have to have two further teams simply because as extended as Ben Simmons is on Brooklyn’s roster, the Nets can not receive Bam Adebayo (or Donovan Mitchell) thanks to the collective bargaining settlement guidelines on players who signal rookie max agreement extensions.

Durant’s route to Phoenix, which the Every day Information reported was his preferred trade place, has also been challenging now that the Suns have matched Deandre Ayton’s $133M offer sheet, the greatest in NBA history. Now that Phoenix has matched Indiana’s supply, the Suns cannot trade Ayton till Jan. 15, cannot trade him to Indiana for a calendar year, and simply cannot trade him any place with no his consent.

The Toronto Raptors have been unwilling to trade reigning Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes in a offer for Durant, which is a nonstarter for Brooklyn.

“There are even now other groups out there,” Wojnarowski stated. “There’s no deal imminent for Brooklyn, but they are still hoping to find a trade for Durant.”

The hazard, even so, will come into enjoy the nearer the Nets creep towards instruction camp, and on Monday, the staff announced its four-recreation, early-Oct preseason schedule: Oct. 3 in Brooklyn from James Harden, Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers Oct. 6 in Brooklyn versus the Miami Warmth Oct. 12 in Milwaukee from Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks and Oct. 14 in Minnesota towards Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves.

Is Durant the type of participant who, when satisfied with an unrealized trade ask for, will pull a Ben Simmons? Will Durant no-exhibit instruction camp? Will he keep-out and place tension on the Nets entrance office environment to go him?

And will opposing teams weaken their provides if this scenario will become additional poisonous when all get-togethers return from getaway to kickstart the year in Brooklyn?

The longer the Nets wait to strike a offer, the more prone they come to be to acquiring off to a inadequate begin to the period if a disgruntled star is in a town he no for a longer period needs to symbolize.

Position NOT Concluded

The Nets are not finished making their roster, even if Durant was to keep. Brooklyn obtained TJ Warren and Edmond Sumner in free of charge company and traded a 2023 first-spherical select to Utah for three-and-D wing Royce O’Neale, but the Nets still have their taxpayer mid-degree exception obtainable.

That mid-level exception is well worth a highest of $20M above a a few-12 months deal and can be break up concerning several absolutely free brokers. As it stands, Brooklyn’s most significant remaining need to have is depth at the centre and at the level guard spot with Andre Drummond and Goran Dragic equally leaving for the Chicago Bulls.

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