The Kevin Durant sweepstakes are getting out of hand. The two-time NBA champion gave the Brooklyn Nets an ultimatum and forced them to trade him or fire Steve Nash and Sean Marks.
Nets owner Joe Tsai sided with his front office and let KD know via Twitter that he wasn't going to cave or be extorted by any player. That means all bridges back to Brooklyn have been officially burnt.
K.D. Would Like To Play In Philly
The Miami Heat and Boston Celtics reportedly submitted multiple offers for Durant, but to no avail. Now, Ian Begley of SNY reports that the Philadelphia 76ers have also had internal discussions about potentially making a move for him:
"Something worth noting: As of earlier this week, there were high-ranking members of the Sixers who’ve felt strongly about engaging with Brooklyn on a Durant trade," Begley wrote.With that in mind, Sean Bernard of ClutchPoints proposes a trade that would send KD to the City of Brotherly Love, while the Nets land Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, and two first-round picks.
Why Would The Sixers Do This?
Joel Embiid reportedly let Daryl Morey know that he wanted him to exhaust every possibility to get Durant. They want to win right now, and James Harden's entering the backend of his prime, so it would make sense to pursue a ring while he can still contribute.
Losing two young studs in Maxey and Thybulle will certainly hurt, but adding KD would put them over the top in the East. Also, Durant and Harden were spotted together in Europe in the offseason, shutting down the rumors of a potential feud between them.
Why Would The Nets Accept?
Simply put, the Nets need to take a deal for KD, and this might be the best they could get. Durant isn't coming back, so his trade value will go down by the day, regardless of how great of a player he is.
The Nets would get a blossoming talent in Maxey and one of the best defenders in the league in Thybulle. They could also buy out Tobias Harris or trade him next season, and they'd get a couple of first-round picks.
Everybody Wins
Also, that trade would finally allow the Nets to move on from Kyrie Irving and start from scratch. They swung for the fences and missed, but parting ways with the two will finally give them some piece to try and get back from the floor.
The Sixers would risk their future for immediate success, but it's been two decades since they've made the Finals, and they want to win while Embiid is at the top of his game, so this is the move they need to do.
]]>The Inquisitr
