This fake NBA trade involving Durant and Donovan Mitchell may satisfy all parties.
Kevin Durant made a trade request to the Brooklyn Nets just hours before free agency opened on June 30. Now almost two weeks later, Durant remains in Brooklyn with little momentum toward a deal.
There is indeed some news floating around regarding a potential trade for Durant, which is based on inside information that Durant has brought up. Durant's preferred destination is the Phoenix Suns . The Nets want a young All-Star in any trade, as well as at least three future first-round picks. While nearly every team has "confirmed" a trade for Durant, the Nets have yet to see the league-wide bidding war they were hoping for. It can be inferred that the teams currently offering Durant have not yet given the best offer.
We also know that there are many rumors that Irving is related to Lakers . Los Angeles is reportedly the only possible destination for Irving if he is traded from Brooklyn. We know the Pacers are interested in Deandre Ayton, and it's likely Myles Turner will be included in the trade.
Constructing a two-team trade for Durant that satisfies all parties would be extremely difficult. If the Nets don't want Ayton to come with a maximum salary, Phoenix won't have a better player to complete the deal. The same situation may also happen to the Raptors, because the Raptors don't want to give up Scott Barnes, and the Pelicans don't want to give up Brandon Ingram. The Durant trade will likely be a multi-team deal to get everything everyone wants, which is obviously complicated and difficult to pull off.
The Durant trade story took another potential twist this week, with reports that the Utah Jazz were willing to listen to offers for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Earlier this month, the Jazz traded Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves for a slew of draft picks. It's hard to imagine how the Jazz can build a competitive team around Mitchell in the short term, so trading him for another big draft pick would make sense. Mitchell is exactly the kind of player the Nets were craving when they traded for Durant.
This is a big deal involving Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell involving 5 teams, which can satisfy all parties involved in the transaction.
The specific trading plan is as follows:
The Nets get: Donovan Mitchell, Mikal Bridges , Myles Turner
The Suns get: Kevin Durant
The Pacers get : Deandre Ayton
Jazz get: Russell Westbrook and draft picks
Lakers get: Irving
Why did every team agree to this deal?
Again, this is super complicated, no Too likely to pass. But if you look closely, you'll see how reasonable the deal is here.
This is Durant's incredible return to the Nets. It will be that the Nets have a young All-Star Mitchell, a true three-D wing player Bridges , and a starting center Turner. , Brooklyn couldn't have received a better offer.
The Suns traded Ayton, Bridges and draft picks for Kevin Durant. KD is still one of the best players in the world. After this trade, the Phoenix Suns are a strong contender for the championship.
The Jazz traded Mitchell for another pile of draft picks, plus Westbrook's expiring contract to match the salary. Westbrook may be waived. The deal would likely require three first-round picks from the Suns and two first-round picks from the Lakers, with some draft pick swaps also possible.
The Pacers upgraded from Turner to Ayton, which is a big lineup upgrade for Indiana.
The Lakers got Irving. The Lakers may have to give up two future draft picks to make that happen, but it's worth giving LeBron James another chance at a championship in his prime.
Of course, this kind of transaction is not that easy. Brooklyn can't have Mitchell on the same team as Ben Simmons because it violates the league's "designated rookie" rule, which prohibits teams from extending multiple players within five years of a rookie contract. So simmons must be traded elsewhere, let someone else solve this problem.
There are many potential obstacles, not the least of which is Utah. If the Jazz did trade the young star, what would they want in return? Could a team like the Knicks make a better offer for Mitchell? Getting the Jazz to agree was the hardest part, But two Lakers' two draft picks and a few Suns draft picks would be a good bargaining chip. It's also worth asking whether the Lakers will actually give up their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks on Irving's expiring contract.
There are now rumors that Durant went to the Suns, Irving went to the Los Angeles Lakers, and Ayton went to the Indiana Pacers. Rumors of a Mitchell trade are apparently becoming reality. This deal is unlikely, but it's the best way for everyone involved to feel satisfied.
