Secret Rejected Kevin Durant to Memphis Grizzlies Trade Revealed
Before Kevin Durant was famously traded to the Phoenix Suns, there were other teams reportedly ready to go all-in for the generational player. According to a report from Zach Lowe, the Memphis Grizzlies were ready to make a huge push for Durant.
Here is the exact transcription from Zach Lowe's report:
“The Nets have been aware since July that Memphis was ready to trade every pick and swap of its own for Durant, sources said. (The Grizzlies have remained steadfast that Bane, Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr. are 100% off the table in all talks, sources across the league said.) They didn’t get far. Durant wanted the Suns, and the Nets worked with him to make that happen.”
It would have been really interesting to see what exactly that ultimate offer from the Grizzlies could have been that included every single pick and swap. It's something that has been previously referenced by their GM Zach Kleiman on Friday.
“At any point in time, including this year’s deadline, we were willing to be aggressive to maybe even overly aggressive to get the right player,” Kleiman said to the media. “At this deadline, there were several guys where we made offers that — if they were accepted — y’all would have said ‘wow, you guys went way too far in what you would’ve done there’.”
Regardless of what the Memphis Grizzlies were offering, Kevin Durant ultimately requested a trade to go specifically to the Phoenix Suns. He did not request a trade anywhere else, and the Brooklyn Nets wanted to oblige his request. However, one would have to wonder if the Nets couldn't have resisted if the Memphis Grizzlies included Bane, Morant, or Jaren Jackson Jr. in the offer.
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