Trades NBA Fans Still Want To See In Midst Of Free Agency
The NBA offseason has quickly become a spectacle of its own over the last several years and this is not only because of the NBA Draft and free agency, but because of trade talks that are ongoing daily amongst every team in the league.
Even before free agency began this offseason, the NBA world was into a frenzy when Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.
This is not just any player, this is Kevin Durant, arguably a Top-10, maybe a Top-5 pure-scorer in NBA history!
Almost every team in the league has reached out to the Nets about a possible trade for the twelve-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP, yet no deal has been made yet.
Will Durant be on the move this summer?
Also with the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving’s future continues to be up-in-the-air not only due to Durant’s trade request, but because of the drama that has surrounded him through his time in Brooklyn.
Will Irving be on the move?
Across the nation in Salt Lake City, the Utah Jazz recently traded All-Star Rudy Gobert and they look like they are on the verge of a rebuild with All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell at the center of it all.
However, does Mitchell actually want to go through some tough years with the Jazz while he is playing some of the best basketball of his young career?
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell all remain the biggest question marks of this NBA offseason and every day, they continue to be brought up in trade rumors. Here are three trades we could see go down in the coming weeks involving all three All-Stars.
Phoenix Suns Go “All-In” For A Championship
Phoenix Suns Receive: F Kevin Durant
Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Deandre Ayton (sign-and-trade), F Mikal Bridges, F Cam Johnson, PHX 2023 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), PHX 2025 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), PHX 2027 1st Round Pick (Top-4 Protected), PHX 2028 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to BKN), PHX 2029 1st Round Pick (Top-4 Protected)
One of the teams that have been named as an ideal destination for Kevin Durant is the Phoenix Suns. Coming off making the NBA Finals in 2021 and winning a franchise-record 64 games this past season, getting Durant could very well be the move that helps Phoenix capture their first championship.
Recently signing Devin Booker to a long-term extension, he cannot be included in any trade proposals for Durant, however, the Suns have still yet to make a decision on restricted free agent Deandre Ayton and they continue to use him as “trade bait” in a scenario for Kevin Durant.
The Nets are wanting an All-Star, superstar-caliber player in return for Durant though, hence why no deal has been made yet.
In terms of fair offers coming their way this offseason though, this proposal from the Suns is very likely the best deal the Nets will end up seeing. Deandre Ayton is a borderline All-Star talent at the center position, a spot on the floor Brooklyn must address, and Mikal Bridges was a First Team All-Defense performer during the 2021-22 season.
Cameron Johnson is only 26-years-old and bringing in four first-round picks allows the Nets to bring back assets that they had given up for James Harden in 2021.
Obviously the Nets would want a player like Devin Booker back in exchange for Kevin Durant, one of the best players on the planet, but that kind of deal is only ever going to happen in NBA 2K, as teams are just not willing to give up their young superstars for a 33-year-old who recently tore his Achilles, even if this player in in fact Kevin Durant!
The Nets add depth, youth, skill and various draft picks in this deal, which is why it is likely the best deal they will see for Durant this offseason.
For Phoenix, they should be willing to give up as many draft picks and as many guys not named Devin Booker and Chris Paul to acquire Kevin Durant from Brooklyn. Booker is already turning into one of the best pure scorers of this generation and with Paul’s ability to facilitate and get the ball to both Booker and Durant, there would be no stopping the Phoenix Suns.
Obviously depth could end up being a problem if they were to trade Ayton, Bridges and Johnson, but the Suns would still have Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Torey Craig and they recently agreed to minimum deals with both Damion Lee and Josh Okogie in free agency.
If they are to strike a deal for Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns will be the best team in the NBA and they will be heavy favorites to win the 2023 NBA Finals.
Kyrie Irving Reunites With LeBron James In Los Angeles
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Kyrie Irving, G/F Joe Harris
Brooklyn Nets Receive: G Russell Westbrook, G Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL/NOP 2023 1st Round Pick (NOP holds rights to swap with LAL)
Along with the Kevin Durant-Phoenix Suns trade scenario gaining a lot of traction, a scenario in which Kyrie Irving gets traded to the Los Angeles Lakers is also filling headlines right now.
The interest the Lakers have in Irving is very real right now and it does seem like Kyrie wants to team back up with LeBron James. Not to mention, Kyrie Irving is also good friends with Anthony Davis as well.
This trio of Irving-Davis-James would instantly become the best trio in the entire league, just from a pure talent perspective, because all three guys are complete mismatches for anyone who is guarding them.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James won a title together in 2016 against the Golden State Warriors. With Anthony Davis now by their side, it would not be hard to believe the Los Angeles Lakers could advance all the way to the NBA Finals with a chance to win another title on the line.
The complication of this trade though is Russell Westbrook, as no team in the league has wanted to trade for him over the last year. In fact, no team wanted to trade for Westbrook other than Los Angeles when they acquired him last offseason!
Brooklyn has shown no willingness to want to get a deal like this done with L.A. and it is easy to see why. In this deal highlighted above, which has been speculated a lot, the Nets really do not have anything to gain.
Talen Horton-Tucker has not proven he can be a core, young talent through three seasons in the league and his contract is not the best given that he is signed through the 2023-24 season and still owed roughly $21 million, should he pick up his option for the 2023-24 season.
Russell Westbrook is on an expiring contract, but that is really the only value the Nets would get from this deal. Trading Irving to Los Angeles in this package brings back almost zero real assets for Brooklyn, which is why they could very likely hold onto Kyrie Irving and let him sit out as the worst case scenario rather than make a trade like this.
Nevertheless, fans around the league continue to push for a Lakers-Nets trade involving Irving.
Pat Riley Adds Yet Another Superstar In Miami
Miami Heat Receive: G Donovan Mitchell
Utah Jazz Receive: F Duncan Robinson, G Tyler Herro, G Haywood Highsmith, MIA 2023 1st Round Pick (Unprotected), MIA 2026 1st Round Pick (Swap, More Favorable to UTA), MIA 2027 1st Round Pick (Top-4 Protected), MIA 2029 1st Round Pick (Top-4 Protected)
Perhaps the least likely of the three trades here is this one involving Donovan Mitchell going to the Miami Heat. As of right now, the Utah Jazz have signaled to every team in the league that they will not be trading Mitchell and that they want him to be the face of their franchise as they build around him, but is this really what Donovan Mitchell wants?
Now through five seasons in the NBA with the Jazz, Mitchell has made the All-Star Game for three consecutive seasons and he is on the verge of being an All-NBA talent.
Turning 26-years-old in September, Utah’s All-Star guard is going to be entering the prime years of his career, years that he could very well utilize to win a championship.
Utah however, especially after trading Rudy Gobert, does not look like they are in any position to contend for a title. Jumping ship now and requesting a trade is something that Donovan Mitchell is not only capable of doing, but something the Heat are watching closely.
They may be involved in Kevin Durant trade chatter, but Miami has been named a suitor for Mitchell in the past and would love the opportunity to team him up with Kyle Lowry, Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler.
This deal would almost definitely result in Miami giving up any last bit of draft capital they own and this would not be an easy thing to do either because of all the picks they are currently missing.
Should Mitchell request a trade, Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro would instantly be two core pieces of this trade, but the vast majority of what the Jazz would want comes in the form of draft picks. Getting one 2023 first-round pick and then having to wait until 2027 to get the rest of their draft compensation may not be too favorable for what Utah has planned over the years.
A trade like this is definitely possible, however, the Jazz are going to want immediate core assets in return for a player like Donovan Mitchell if he was to request a trade. it is not hard to believe the Jazz would want a package better than what they just received for Rudy Gobert, which consisted of four first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and five players.
It is not likely that Utah would see fair value in this proposal from the Heat.
