Beijing time on July 2, Durant has submitted a trade application to the Nets, but since Durant's contract does not expire until 2026, the Nets' asking price for him is very high. According to "Sports Illustrated" NBA reporter Chris Mannix, the Nets' psychological price for Durant is two All-Star players and a handful of draft picks.
"According to rival executives familiar with the situation told Sports Illustrated, the Nets' asking price for is too high: two All-Star-level talented players and a bunch of draft picks. If a team does not have this kind of bargaining chip , one executive said, and the response they got was, 'Go out and get this kind of leverage,'" the reporter wrote.
Durant previously wanted to join Suns or Heat . Although these two teams have two All-Star players, it is obviously impossible to trade Durant. The same is true for Philadelphia. . Looking at the entire league, there are probably only three teams with two All-Star players and a large number of draft picks that can be used to trade Durant. They are Bulls in the East, Raptors in the East and Pelicans in the West.
The Bulls has now completed a contract extension with LaVine . The two All-Star players that can be used are DeRozan and Vucevic . But the most recent first round the Bulls can use is the first round in 2027. They may not be able to meet the Nets' demand for a first-round pick. Moreover, DeRozan performed very well last season and his contract is very cheap. After renewing his contract with a high salary, In the case of Wen, it is not cost-effective for the Bulls to continue to chase Durant.
The two All-Star players that the Raptors can use are Siakam and VanVleet, and they also have sufficient draft picks. Because of this, many people currently regard the Raptors as one of the teams most promising to acquire Durant.
The two All-Star level players that the Pelicans in the Western Conference can provide are Ingram and CJ McCollum , and they also have a lot of draft picks. But the Pelicans also have a lot of problems. Ingram is a player who has a designated rookie contract extension, which conflicts with Ben Simmons. The environment of the Pelicans is probably not as good as that of the Raptors. In addition, both Durant and Zion have health risks. In this case, the possibility of a trade between the Pelicans and the Nets may not be high.
So the team most likely to meet the Nets' offer is actually the Raptors. But the question is, is Durant himself willing to go to Toronto and leave the United States to play in Canada? Although Durant does not have the power to veto the trade, and it is not up to him where the Nets want to trade him, the Raptors must consider what to do if they forcefully acquire Durant and he continues to make transfers and wants to leave the team. Therefore, if Durant does not promise to play well for the Raptors, the Raptors may not pay such a high price to trade him, and Durant's transaction is likely to completely reach a deadlock.
