The Kevin Durant sweepstakes have free agency and trades on hold. Everybody's waiting to see where the former MVP will end up, as it's an unprecedented situation in the history of the NBA.
The Brooklyn Nets have made it clear that they won't meet his demands of firing Steve Nash and Sean Marks, and Durant has no intention of suiting up for them. With that in mind, some consider the Toronto Raptors a potential destination for him.
Ujiri Could Be Hesitant
Even though the Raptors emerged as a potential destination, Fansided's Mike Luciano believes it could take a while before Masai Ujiri decides to go all-in, if ever:
"The Nets are reportedly trying to milk their hypothetical trade partner dry in trade talks, taking every last available asset they have in exchange for Durant," wrote Luciano. "Considering Ujiri’s general reluctance to go all-in to such a cartoonish extent, it makes sense as to why trade speculation has cooled off just a bit."Barnes Is Off Limits
But even if Ujiri isn't ready to put all his chips on the table, the Raptors still have more than enough assets to at least make the Nets consider a move:
"The Raptors likely have not budged in their demand to keep Scottie Barnes in trade talks, leaving an avenue for teams like Boston and Philadelphia to come in and get on the line with Sean Marks," Luciano added. "Toronto would likely send Gary Trent Jr. and OG Anunoby over with a large group of draft picks."They'd Be A Powerhouse
Landing KD and surrounding him with their current core would put them right back in championship contention, just like it happened in 2019 with Kawhi Leonard:
"If the Raptors can somehow pull this off, KD would join a team featuring a Rookie of the Year (Barnes), the first undrafted player in over a decade to make the All-Star team (Fred VanVleet), and an All-NBA forward (Pascal Siakam) who could serve as his co-star," Luciano continued. "That’s easily good enough to win the East."Teams Will Have To Wait
But it seems like nothing is imminent right now. Some believe that the Nets will try and convince durant to stay, while others claim Durant would rather sit out and lose money than suit up for them again.
Whatever the case, the Nets are in no rush to get a deal done, so this story could drag deep into the season. If that happens, keep an eye north of the border as the Raptors will continue trying to get him.
]]>The Inquisitr
