There's Apparently A Sleeper Team In The Kevin Durant Trade Sweepstakes
The NBA world was taken aback on Thursday when ESPN's Adrian Wojnaroski reported that Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
Wojnarowski: "Kevin Durant made the trade request directly to Nets owner Joe Tsai today, sources tell ESPN."
Wojnarowski also reported that two of the teams Durant wants to be traded to are the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat.
Wojnarowski: "Phoenix and Miami are among two of the teams that Kevin Durant has on his wish list, sources tell ESPN, but the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal. With four years on his contract, there's no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant."
Recently, Wojnarowski said on ESPN that the Toronto Raptors are a team that's "lurking".
"I think a team that's lurking, and is gonna lurk and this is Toronto, Wojnarowski said on ESPN on Friday. "They have all the kinds of pieces that you would want and their picks."
The Raptors took a gamble on Kawhi Leonard in 2018-19, and Leonard led them to the NBA Championship over the Golden State Warriors.
They traded All-Star DeMar DeRozan, and only got one year of Leonard, but it was worth it because they won the title.
The Durant situation could be a similar one for them, but he is also under contract for the next four seasons.
Therefore, if he does not want to be somewhere that he is traded it could be another bad ending.
However, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet: "There is also a sense – though it’s reading tea leaves at this stage, as teams can’t communicate directly with Durant, who remains under contract with the Nets – that the two-time champion and 11-time all-NBA force of nature is at least open to the possibility of playing in Toronto."
Rumors will continue to swirl until something happens.
