The longer Kevin Durant remains in Brooklyn, the better idea we have of what the Nets are looking for.
On Tuesday, Aug. 16, The Athletic's Sam Amick reported that a Boston deal centered around one-time All-Star Jaylen Brown appears to be the "unofficial front-runner" for Durant among executives he's spoken with. Not only that, but Brooklyn is apparently using Boston making its second-best player available as "a baseline of sorts in negotiations" with other teams.
"Translation: If you’re still trying to discuss a Durant deal without putting your second-best talent on the table, then just stop wasting everyone’s time and bow out of this race," writes Amick.
If you’re still trying to discuss a Kevin Durant deal without putting your second-best talent on the table, then just stop wasting everyone’s time and bow out of this race, NBA executives tell @sam_amick.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 16, 2022
More on the KD sweepstakes: https://t.co/ExRxkOXaZa pic.twitter.com/Ol40ttm3eJ
We already knew the Nets are looking for a whole lot in return for Durant, but Amick's report does help frame what a trade could look like for a team interested in the 12-time All-Star, such as the Raptors.
The Raptors were mentioned as a possibility for Durant not long after he requested a trade from the Nets. More recently, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Toronto is among the three "most significant candidates" to acquire Durant along with Miami and Boston.
MORE: Why Raptors should — and shouldn't — trade for Durant
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As I detailed in July, there are a few ways the Raptors could trade for Durant.
Not only could the Raptors build a package around Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet or Scottie Barnes, but they have full control of their future first-round picks. In theory, they could acquire Durant without giving up Siakam, VanVleet or Barnes by offering multiple first-round picks and using the combination of OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. and someone like Khem Birch to match Durant's salary.
That sort of deal would obviously hurt the team's depth, but a core of VanVleet, Siakam, Barnes and Durant would give the Raptors a legitimate shot at winning another championship.
Since going through that exercise, reporting indicates that the Nets have their eyes set on Barnes if they were to do a deal with the Raptors. The problem for Brooklyn? Trading Barnes is a "non-starter" for Toronto. And based on Amick's report, it's safe to assume the Nets have no interest in a Rudy Gobert-type of return for Durant, one that is headlined by draft picks and features role players.
One would think that leaves a Siakam or VanVleet deal as Toronto's only hope of landing Durant.
Even then, it almost certainly wouldn't be a swap. On July 12, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto wrote that Siakam and Trent could be a starting point for the Raptors in discussions for Durant, but "the Nets would certainly push for more." A few weeks later, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that Brooklyn turned down an offer from Boston and countered by asking for Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, draft picks and "potentially one more rotation player."
Valuable as VanVleet is, it's hard to imagine him having as much value around the league as Brown, who is one of the NBA's best young players. There isn't much separating Siakam and Brown, but Brown has the benefit of being a couple of years younger.
Time will tell if the Nets lower their asking price, but for now, it remains sky-high.
