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Raptors Odds to Land Kevin Durant Jump Higher, Vegas Says
If Rudy Gobert is worth five first-round picks and Dejounte Murray can pry three first-rounders from the Atlanta Hawks, what's Kevin Durant worth?
It's the question NBA executives have been asking themselves since news first broke of Durant's trade request to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday afternoon. While the 34-year-old superstar has Miami and Phoenix as his "preferred" destinations, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says the Toronto Raptors are a team "lurking" in trade talks.
"I think a team that's lurking and is going to lurk in this is Toronto. They have all the kinds of pieces that you would want and their picks to do a deal for Kevin Durant and they have an organization and leader in Masai Ujiri who, certainly, you saw the chance he took on Kawhi Leonard with one year left on his deal, how far are the Raptors willing to go with an offer to Brooklyn?" Wojnarowski said. "I think you keep watching Toronto to see how involved they might get for Kevin Durant."
Vegas sportsbooks now have Toronto as the third-most likely trade destination for Durant at +400, conveying a 20% chance he's traded to the Raptors if he's moved this summer, per BetOnline. The Raptors sit behind the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat in the most likely trade destinations, just ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Toronto had previously been the fifth-most likely team at +700 to acquire Durant.
Further Reading
Raptors among 5 most likely destinations for Kevin Durant, Vegas says
Report: Raptors re-sign Thad Young to two-year deal
Report: Chris Boucher re-signs in Toronto on multi-year deal
