There have been massive shifts in the Kevin Durant trade sweepstakes in recent days — according to Ian Begley of SNY, Durant sees the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers as desired landing spots this offseason.
Previously, Durant’s preferred trade destinations were the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat, but neither franchise was able to put together an appropriate package to offer Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks and co. Miami was held up by being unable to include Bam Adebayo in the offer due to Ben Simmons’ presence on the Nets roster as a designated rookie while Phoenix’s re-signing of Deandre Ayton effectively took away their top trade chip until the season starts.
Now, with the Cs and Sixers in the mix, we could be closer to a KD trade resolution than we’ve been the entire offseason. Both squads have a superstar in place (Jayson Tatum, James Harden) that could create a championship 1-2 punch with KD on board, and also are both veteran-laden while sporting intriguing young pieces that will remain even after a deal.
Regarding what the Boston Celtics front office will need to beat on the open market, Begley revealed what a possible Philadelphia trade offer could look like (h/t MassLive):
"“Begley also reports that there are high-ranking members of the Sixers that have felt strongly about engaging Brooklyn on a Durant trade. The Sixers could build an offer around Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and draft compensation in said scenario.”"
The Boston Celtics can beat any Kevin Durant trade offer
Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens is not in the same pressure-filled state 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey is in. James Harden has two years on his contract remaining, and although Joel Embiid is under team control for the next five seasons, his continued early exits from the payoffs could eventually cause him to window shop elsewhere.
Stevens could topple any offer the 76ers put forth with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, but the Cs don’t have to get as aggressive as Philadelphia does. Without Durant, Boston is still the favorite to represent the east in the NBA Finals. The Sixers, meanwhile, might not be a second-round worthy team if they don’t make another move, considering the presence of Boston, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors, and the Chicago Bulls in the conference.
Given Brooklyn’s asking price, and the 76ers’ desperation stemming from over two decades straight of Eastern Conference finals’ without them in it, it appears as though Morey will decide just how the KD sweepstakes will end — if he is willing to pay a price no one else would be willing to, he will.