BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Brooklyn Nets offseason saga continues as we enter a new week after Kevin Durant formally made a trade request from the Nets last week.
That news from Durant followed the news that his fellow Nets star Kyrie Irving would opt-in to his player option to remain with Brooklyn, something that was unexpected, making the Durant news even more unexpected.
Now, there’s plenty of chatter that both stars could be moved by the Nets after all.
The big one is Kevin Durant and where he could possibly land. Because about half the teams in the NBA have reportedly called the Nets, who have said they’re looking for the best trade package possible.
So what does that look like for Brooklyn? Doug Norrie of the Locked On Nets podcast spoke with Jackson Gatlin on Monday’s Locked On NBA podcast about what Brooklyn will be looking for.
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Are they looking for a mountain of draft capital or a cornerstone player to continue to be a contender in the Eastern Conference?
We’ve seen plenty of star-studded trades return with plenty of draft capital, including the Utah Jazz’s haul for Rudy Gobert last week. Would the Nets be interested in that, though?
“The Nets don’t own any of their draft picks going forward so they can’t tank,” Norrie said on Locked On NBA. “They have to get players back…There’s no incentive for the Nets to tank. They basically have to get talent back to stay relevant and hopefully make the playoffs. I don’t think those previous trades we’ve seen this offseason like the Gobert trade for a bunch of draft picks are good comparisons. They have to get talent.”
Some highly reported potential suitors include the Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors and Memphis Grizzlies.
The potential packages with the Suns include 2018 No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, who ended his season on a bad note with the Suns and coach Monty Williams. It also would likely include Suns star defender Mikal Bridges, along with draft picks.
Packages discussed with the Raptors potentially include starters OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes, or possibly All-Star Pascal Siakam.
But, there are going to be plenty of suitors. Norrie said for the Nets, it’s likely going to be the team that can offer the most immediate talent back.
“They have to get some talent back in the door to allow them to at least tread water and try to make the playoffs,” Norrie said.