Kevin Durant trade live updates: Brooklyn Nets speculation, rumors
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Kevin Durant trade speculation continues to surround the Brooklyn Nets, with the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat and other NBA teams in the thick of trade rumors and chatter.
Where will the NBA star end up playing in 2022?
Follow our updates on Kevin Durant as the NBA trade speculation continues.
More:Deandre Ayton trade, free agency live updates: Phoenix Suns speculation, rumors, news
ESPN: Ayton offer sheet with Pacers ‘complicates’ Suns’ Durant chances
Bobby Marks said: “(The Suns) are not eliminated but it certainly does complicate a lot of things here with Durant.”
Clutch Points: Deandre Ayton offer sheet crushes Suns’ Kevin Durant hopes
Kendall Capps writes: “If the Suns match the Pacers offer to retain Ayton, the center now has veto power over any trade in the future. If he doesn’t want to go to Brooklyn who would appear to be starting over, he could simply say no. Making things even more interesting is the fact that if the Suns match the offer, they will enter the luxury tax for the first time since 2009. Generally, Phoenix has been fiscally responsible and would prefer not to do that. However you slice it, Thursday’s developments have all but crushed the hopes of the Suns trading for Kevin Durant. A package of Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and a couple late first-round picks just won’t get it done.”
Deandre Ayton offer sheet doesn’t crush Suns’ Kevin Durant hopes?
Others weren’t so sure the Suns were out of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes quite yet.
DraftKings: Suns favored to be Kevin Durant’s next team in odds
DraftKings has released updated odds for which team Kevin Durant will play his next regular season minute for and the Phoenix Suns are the favorite at -110.
The Brooklyn Nets, Durant’s current team, is next at +230.
The third-best odds go to the Toronto Raptors at +500.
The Miami Heat are fourth at +900, while the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics are tied for fifth in the odds at +1400.
More:If only trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns was as simple as it looks on paper
Fansided: 4-team trade sends Kevin Durant to Phoenix, stars to Lakers, Nets, Pacers
Jason Reed offered a trade involving four teams to get Kevin Durant to the Suns. In the trade, he had the Lakers getting Kyrie Irving, Myles Turner, 2025 second-round pick (via Phoenix), the Nets landing Russell Westbrook, Buddy Hield, Mikal Bridges, Talen Horton-Tucker, 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick swap, 2029 top-three protected first-round pick (via Phoenix), 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick swap (via Los Angeles), the Pacers acquiring Deandre Ayton (via sign-and-trade), Joe Harris, cash considerations (via Los Angeles) and the Suns also getting two 2023 second-round picks (via Indiana).
Jerry West: ‘You can’t give enough to get a guy like’ Kevin Durant
The NBA legend shared his thoughts on Kevin Durant and his trade request in an interview on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Fox Sports: Steph Curry reached out to Kevin Durant
“I was in Las Vegas last week for Summer League, and someone from KD’s camp told me that Steph Curry was among the stars around the league who had reached out to KD to find out exactly what he was thinking,” Ric Bucher said on “First Things First.” “The point being made that Ste
ph was not opposed to KD, in spite of the way things ended, to KD coming back to the Warriors. Steph’s focus is purely on winning a fifth ring, and one of the motivations in winning a fifth ring is because it would give him one more than LeBron James,” Bucher said. “Steph hasn’t forgotten that four or five years ago, LeBron, Russell Westbrook and KD were among those that didn’t really invite him to be at the table, their lunch table, if you will.”
ESPN: 4-team trade proposal that sends Kevin Durant to Suns
Bobby Marks shared a 4-team trade suggestion on NBA Today that would send sent Kevin Durant to the Suns, Deandre Ayton to the Pacers, Donovan Mitchell, Mikal Bridges and Myles Turner to the Nets and Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas and a lot of picks to the Jazz.
The Big Lead’s Liam McKeone couldn’t see the Suns agreeing to the deal.
“As far as massive trades involving multiple superstars and hundreds of millions of dollars go … It isn’t bad!,” he wrote. “The Nets move on from the KD/Kyrie era with Mitchell flanked by two quality defenders. The Suns get KD. The Pacers get Ayton for a first-round pick. And the Jazz end up with Simmons as a reclamation project, a haul of picks to utilize along with Cam Thomas. The team likeliest to balk here is Phoenix. The Suns give up seven picks, Ayton, and Mikal Bridges to get Durant in this scenario. From what we’ve heard, they’ve already balked at giving up that much for KD, and even if they were willing, the trade probably would’ve happened already.”
SB Nation: 5-team trade suggestion involving Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell
Ricky O’Donnell created a 5-team trade between the Suns, Nets, Jazz, Pacers and Lakers.
In the deal, he has Phoenix acquiring Durant, Brooklyn getting Mitchell, Myles Turner and Mikal Bridges, Indiana landing Deandre Ayton, Utah acquiring Russell Westbrook and draft picks and the Lakers landing Kyrie Irving.
O’Donnell wrote of the deal: “Again: this is super complicated, and very unlikely to go through. But if you look hard enough, you can see the motivation from every side. This is an incredible Durant return for the Nets. They get a young All-Star in Mitchell, a true 3-and-D wing in Bridges, and a starting center in Turner. Brooklyn couldn’t ask for anything more than this. The Suns swap Ayton, Bridges, and picks for Kevin Durant. KD is still one of the best players alive. Phoenix is firmly in the mix for a championship after this deal.”
More:Could Kevin Durant’s trade request create ‘ripple effect’ NBA doesn’t want?
Heavy.com: Almost no NBA team has enough to trade for Kevin Durant
“Everybody would love to have him,” one general manager told Heavy Sports, “but almost no one has enough to get him. And I’ll bet you right now that the team that does get him will have to get a third team involved to make the trade work. Brooklyn is asking for more than really anyone can give. I’m not if anyone will meet their price, but I guess they’re hoping someone will get creative and get them the quality player — or players — and picks they want.”
The Dan Patrick Show: Kevin Durant to Golden State Warriors ‘a discussion’
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the show: “There’s legitimate sources in the league telling me that it’s a discussion,” Windhorst said (around the four-minute mark). “First off, the Warriors always believe in open throttle. The Warriors have shown they don’t care what they spend. … This has been a discussion inside the Warriors organization. [Steph] Curry’s been asked about it, and Curry gave a nonanswer. But he didn’t shut it down. He didn’t say ‘hell no.'”
ESPN: Nets prepared to keep Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving
Brian Windhorst said: “Boy, is that the vibe that is coming out of Brooklyn right now, that they are prepared to do that (keep Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving),” he said on Get Up! on Wednesday, via NJ.com. “This could be a negotiating position, or it could be a smart decision if you don’t like the trade offers that you have. The market for Durant has not been as lucrative as the Nets were hoping, and the market for Kyrie is very thin. It’s essentially the Lakers and the trade offer isn’t great. If you don’t like what you have, you just sort of close ranks and look at re-starting it.”
He added: “The voice we’ll look for is Kevin Durant…it’s not really up to Kyrie or the Nets for this saga to end, it’s up to what Durant thinks,” Windhorst said. “And he’s under no obligation to say anything but the last we heard from him is he asked for a trade.”
Adam Silver: NBA commissioner not happy with Kevin Durant trade request
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed Kevin Durant’s trade request with reporters at the NBA Summer League on Tuesday.
“My view hasn’t changed,” Silver said, via The New York Post. “Look, this needs to be a two-way street. Teams provide enormous security and guarantees to players, and the expectation is in return that they’ll meet their end of the bargain. I’m realistic that there’s always conversations that are going to go on behind closed doors between the players and the representatives of the teams; but we don’t like to see players requesting trades and we don’t like to see it playing out the way it is.”
He continued: “It’s not just potentially the league or the team governors who are impacted, but lots of other players as well. So it’s one of those issues that as we move into this collective bargaining cycle … we intend to discuss with our players association,” Silver said. “It’ll never be the case when players won’t be unhappy in certain situations; but we don’t want to see it playing out the way it is now.”
ESPN: Donovan Mitchell opens up possibilities for Kevin Durant trade
Adrian Wojnarowski said: “This is a player coveted by numerous teams. And certainly when you see a trade market that includes Kevin Durant, players of that caliber, all of a sudden it can possibly open up multi-team scenarios.”
Fox Sports: Kevin Durant trade to Suns makes ‘most sense’ to several NBA GMs
Ric Bucher writes: “Another option for Durant is his reported first choice, the Phoenix Suns. That scenario makes the most sense to several GMs. There is at least one proposed three-way deal, a Western Conference GM said, involving the Suns, Nets and Utah Jazz. The proposed trade would send Durant to the Suns, Jazz All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Nets and a package of draft picks and other assets to the Jazz, who appear to be in rebuilding mode after trading All-Star center Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves. It would be a special kind of torture for Knicks fans to see Mitchell, a New York native, return home only to don a Nets uniform.”
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Fox Sports: Potential hurdles to Suns, Jazz, Nets trade including Kevin Durant Donovan Mitchell
Ric Bucher detailed some issues that might derail the proposed Suns, Nets and Jazz trade in his story.
He wrote: “There are several hurdles to that deal being consummated as well. It is widely believed that trading Gobert was the start of a Jazz makeover by their new CEO, Danny Ainge, who earned the nickname “Trader Dan” during his 13 years as president of the Boston Celtics. Whether that rebuild includes Mitchell could depend on the influence of part owner Dwyane Wade, who has forged a friendship with Mitchell. GM Justin Zanik, with Ainge sitting to his right, was as noncommittal about Mitchell’s future with the Jazz as (Joe) Lacob was about the Warriors’ intere
st in reacquiring Durant.
“With Mitchell also signed to a designated rookie contract extension, (Ben) Simmons would have to be moved elsewhere; of course, he could be sent to the Jazz as part of the deal.”
Miami Herald: Nets, Heat Kevin Durant talks reach impasse
Barry Jackson writes: “According to a league source briefed on the matter, initial talks between the Heat and Brooklyn were “hot and heavy,” but then cooled when Brooklyn wasn’t satisfied with Miami’s potential package. But the Heat continues its pursuit.”
ESPN: Heat among ‘most determined’ teams to acquire Kevin Durant
“The Miami Heat have been certainly one of the most determined teams to try to acquire Kevin Durance since he asked for that trade,” Adrian Wojnarowski said on Tuesday. “They talked to Brooklyn here in Las Vegas. … “Brooklyn’s asking price is steep. Brooklyn continues to talk to a number of teams here in Vegas and are no closer to a trade for Kevin Durant. But especially teams like Miami and Phoenix need help. They don’t really have a one-on-one pathway to a deal with Brooklyn. That makes it more complicated.”
New York Daily News: Kevin Durant has made contact with Brooklyn Nets
Stefan Bondy writes: “As far as preparation and timing, the Nets have leverage. A source said the team was aware of Durant’s unhappiness but surprised by his trade request. The assumption is Irving’s contract drama played a major role in Durant’s discontent, but the Nets haven’t been told specific reasons, a source said. Another possibility for Durant’s disapproval: the team released assistant coach Adam Harrington, a favorite of Durant’s going back to their time together in OKC.”
More:Deandre Ayton-Jalen Smith tandem Suns GM James Jones envisioned may happen with Indiana Pacers
Hoops Hype: Pacers, Spurs could be holding onto cap space for Kevin Durant trade
Michael Scotto writes: “Rival NBA executives believe the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs could be holding onto their cap space to be a part of a blockbuster Durant trade where they’d be a salary dump destination in exchange for draft pick compensation. Indiana has rarely tendered an offer sheet to a player. The last time was when the Pacers landed former Knicks forward Chris Copeland in restricted free agency. The Pacers extended the offer sheet because New York couldn’t match at the time, and Indiana was guaranteed to get Copeland. It’s also worth noting Malcolm Brogdon was acquired in a sign-and-trade. A potential sign-and-trade scenario between the Suns and Pacers has also been speculated. It’s worth noting Ayton and Pacers center Myles Turner are both represented by agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports and WME Sports. Ayton’s co-agent, Nima Namakian, also represents Indiana’s recent sixth overall pick, Bennedict Mathurin.”
ESPN: Scottie Barnes ‘non-starter’ for Raptors in Kevin Durant trade talks
Adrian Wojnarowski on NBA Today: “Scottie Barnes continues to be a non-starter for the Raptors in any Kevin Durant discussion. There certainly has been no progress there with Toronto.”
Hoops Hype: Warriors reluctant to give up young players for Kevin Durant
Michael Scotto writes: “The Warriors have several young assets on paper, including Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody, but Golden State would be reluctant to give up all these assets in a Durant trade proposal.”
Bleacher Report: Kevin Durant has his heart set on Suns
On a recent podcast, Jake Fischer said: “The only thing is I’ve heard from people who would know is that KD has his heart set on Phoenix.”
Hoops Hype: Kevin Durant worth ‘James Harden type of package’
Michael Scotto writes: “After Utah received four first-round picks and a pick swap as part of the Rudy Gobert trade to Minnesota, Brooklyn is holding out for a king’s ransom for Durant. Five NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype at Vegas Summer League felt Minnesota overpaid for Gobert and increased the price tag for Durant in the process. When asked in general what Durant’s trade value should be worth following the Dejounte Murray and Gobert trades, one NBA general manager told HoopsHype, ‘Durant is worth a James Harden type of package.’ … Expect the Nets to hold onto Durant until they get a godfather
offer with the subtle hope that he will change his mind and want to remain with the Nets and fulfill his four-year contract extension. As one opposing coach for a Western Conference team told HoopsHype, ‘Durant is the best professional scorer the game has ever seen.'”
ESPN: Kevin Durant the ‘face of the biggest failure in NBA history’
Chris Canty said on Get Up!: “Kevin Durant’s legacy as far as I’m concerned. … There is going to be a black mark on it because he is the face of the biggest failure in NBA history.”
FuboTV: Lakers should trade Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis for Kevin Durant
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas said on No Chill with Gilbert Arenas: “Right now, the Lakers are the only team that’s suited to make a deal work because it’s less paperwork. I can straight up trade Kyrie for Russ, Kevin Durant for Anthony Davis. It’s a fair trade on both sides.”
Jim Rome Show: Nets shouldn’t trade Kevin Durant
Former NBA coach Byron Scott said: “I think if I’m management I take a hard stand and I don’t trade him. I keep him here. You are going to have to perform. You sign that long term contract, which is only four years which is not necessarily long, but you signed in saying that you were all in and all of a sudden when the boat gets a little rocky you want to jump ship? No. I think if I’m management, obviously have a heart to heart talk with him, say, ‘you aren’t going anywhere. We’re not trading. We’re going to build around you and that’s it.’
“We do know that players now are kind of running the NBA. It’s not general managers or coaches. Players are running the NBA. I think a lot of these guys are spoiled. They just feel, OK, I want to get traded. I’m going to go and demand a trade and I’m going to be traded. You know, somewhere along the line, you are going to have to stick to your guns.”
ESPN: Nets have time on their side in Kevin Durant trade
Adrian Wojnarowski said on NBA Today: “They’re trying to await teams and trying to get teams to meet that price. They do have time on their side. Especially with the time of the year this is and, again, a player with four years left on his deal.”
ESPN: Kevin Durant joining Warriors would taint star’s legacy
Kendrick Perkins said on First Take: “If I’m Kevin Durant, there’s no way in hell that I’m going to go back to Golden State. Because if he do, it will tarnish his legacy forever. If he goes back, he could help win more rings and help Steph Curry’s legacy. But his own legacy? It would be tarnished forever.”
He continued: “Look, if I’m the Warriors, I’m staying pat on what I got. Steph Curry has proven and shown to us that he can be that guy to lead his team to the championship, win it all along with the Finals MVP and help young guys like Jordan Poole grow into being in the conversation as Most Improved or maybe in the near future, an All-Star.
“So, if I’m the Warriors, I stand pat. They have the culture. They have the mixture of youth and veterans. I don’t make the move for Kevin Durant.”
New York Daily News: 4-team trade would land Kevin Durant with Suns
Kristian Winfield proposed a four-team trade that could end up with the Suns receiving the Nets’ Kevin Durant and the Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner. The Utah Jazz would also be involved.
Phoenix would have to give up Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in the deal (as well as first-round pick swaps in 2026 and 2028) and Deandre Ayton would end up in Indiana.
The trade also included Donovan Mitchell ending up in Brooklyn and Ben Simmons ending up in Utah, as well as a lot of other moving parts.
Winfield wrote of why the trade would work for the Suns: “Because they’ll have an almost bulletproof starting five: Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Jae Crowder and Myles Turner. Yes, Phoenix will have gutted a good portion of both its depth and draft assets, but it’s a steal for them to end up with Turner for Ayton, a player they appear willing to let walk in free agency. Pulling off this deal gives Phoenix one of the most overloaded offenses in all of basketball, lands Durant at the destination atop his most preferred list and makes the Suns championship contenders so long as Paul stays healthy running the point. This, in all likelihood, is a deal the Suns agree to first.”
ESPN: Steph Curry, Warriors not shutting down Kevin Durant rumors
Brian Windhorst said: “Yeah, I think this says a lot about the Warriors organization that they would be coming off a championship and Steph Curry coming off a crowning moment in his career, and he wouldn’t slam the door shut on this. Steph Curry’s got the kind of clout where he can shut this down, but he’s not. Joe Lacob is not.”
Miami Herald: Miami Heat making serious pursuit of Kevin Durant
Barry Jackson detailed Miami’s interest in Durant in a serious of tweets on Monday, noting that “Heat determined to exhaust all options to acquire Durant before pursuing anything else significant.”
SiriusXM NBA Radio: Scottie Pippen supports Kevin Durant’s trade request
The former Chicago Bulls star said on a recent radio appearance: “You know, that’s the game today. Players control their own destiny and not much loyalty is needed on either side of the table anymore. I’m fine with it, to be honest. I kind of like how the players have their freedom to change and it’s what the owners have been doing to players for years. So, they just even the playing field, to me. I don’t feel bad for what KD is doing at all. I think it’s a great move for him. You move as much as you want, in today’s game. It’s like, to me, playing pick-up basketball.”
ESPN: Price tag for Kevin Durant not as high as Nets want
Brian Windhorst said: “I think the reality is the league has sniffed out that the price tag for Durant may not be as high as the Nets want it,” said Brian Windhorst. “And if the price tag maybe slips a little bit, which may be what we’re looking at what is now turning into a stalemate, some teams that were just sort of casual bystanders in the first round may be like ‘wait a minute, maybe we should get in on this bidding.’ In fairness, you have to put the Warriors on that list. I don’t think it’s likely, but it would be irresponsible of me to scratch them off.”
ESPN: No guarantee of Kevin Durant trade before end of NBA Summer League
Adrian Wojnarowski said: “If you’re the Nets, you can get a sense of how far some teams are going to go and if you’ve feel like they’ve gone as far as they’re going to go with you, is that good enough for Kevin Durant? Because in any scenario you’re probably not getting value for Kevin Durant. There’s no deal where you can say, ‘Hey, we’re better for this. It’s just the best you can get. And again with the four years left on his contract, you could wait it out.”
Yahoo Sports: Kevin Durant not communicating with NBA players
Chris Haynes said: “Numerous stars have been trying to get in touch with him to pick his brain to see if he would consider other avenues,” Haynes said. “Just want to get a sense of what he’s thinking. … KD has gone dark. He’s not talking to anybody. Not answering anybody’s phone calls, not responding to texts, KD has gone dark.”
The Rookie Wire: Devin Booker answers question about relationship with Kevin Durant
The Suns’ Devin Booker recently did an interview with The Rookie Wire and he answered a question about his relationship with Kevin Durant.
The question: “What’s your relationship with Kevin Durant like?”
The answer: “We’re Olympic gold medal teammates,” Booker said. “That was a big moment for us. Mutual respect, 100 respect.”
More Kevin Durant trade stories:
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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