A Chrisgon0203 Article:
Introduction
It has been a big day for us NBA fans. Countless free agent signings, free agency rumors, Woj bombs, Sham bombs, etcetera. But we all know what the biggest news for us today is. Kevin Durant's request for a trade from Brooklyn and the Miami Heat being heavily interested in Donovan Mitchell.
When A Top 15 Player Of All Time Requests A Trade
When I woke up this morning, I expected a very entertaining free agency, but what we got was not only amazing, but it was also historic. Kevin Durant requested a trade. This is the first time in the modern era that a player of Kevin Durant's caliber has requested a trade. Kevin Durant is arguably a top 15 player of all time and seeing him leave will leave the rest of the league in shambles. After I finished running down the street like a complete maniac and seeing my neighbors think, "What the hell is this guy doing?", I settled down and thought about how we even got to this situation.
The Biggest "What If" Team In NBA History
It all started with this pretty good basketball player named Kyrie Irving, who wanted to team up with another pretty good basketball player named Kevin Durant. It is no surprise that Kevin Durant jumped at this opportunity, but you know what they say... "Be careful what you wish for." Back then, it was a good move, but now in hindsight, we realize that Kevin Durant should have paid better attention to the track record of Kyrie. The guy who left Lebron to become a leader, became a leader and did a horrible job, backstabbed the Celtics organization, and was a very controversial figure. He didn't take any of this into account, and they ended up playing with each other. After their first month playing together, Kyrie decided to go full Dennis Rodman on the Nets and take a little break. It wasn't too long for videos to surface online of Kyrie going to the club with his sister and not following COVID protocols. This was a huge red flag, considering we were only a month into the potential dynasty the Nets could be. While Kyrie was gone, the Nets front office was throwing a party of their own after they acquired James Harden from the Houston Rockets. At the bare minimum, James Harden is a top 50 player of all time, and having three all-time great players guarantees nothing but, at the bare minimum, at least one championship. When Kyrie came back, the Nets were set to make a push for the title. They beat the Boston Celtics in round 1 pretty convincingly in 5 games. The Nets were too much for the injured Celtics without their second-best player in Jaylen Brown. Next came the Bucks, and the Nets just got unlucky. Kyrie got injured in game 4, and James Harden was dealing with hamstring issues. Harden is still dealing with these issues today. The Bucks ended up winning in a tough, grueling battle, but there is no doubt in anybody's mind that if the Nets were fully healthy, they would have won the series. Now comes the offseason, and everyone is looking forward to seeing the trio that was Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. The only issue was that Kyrie didn't want to get the COVID vaccine. He missed countless games, and James Harden eventually grew irritated with Kyrie's child-like behavior. He requested a trade, and his wish was granted. He was reunited with Daryl Morey and got to play with one of the MVP finalists in Joel Embiid. Meanwhile, the Nets situation was getting sticky. You had two drama queens in Kyrie and Ben Simmons (from the Harden trade), and it was clear that they weren't going to do much in the playoffs. But what the Nets did in the postseason was a surprise. They got swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving did not play well, and the Celtics' elite defense definitely had something to do with it. Then here comes this offseason, and it seems as if Kevin Durant is also fed up with Kyrie. It appears this way because, today, Kevin Durant requested a trade. I'm not questioning the friendship that Kevin Durant has with Kyrie Irving because I do believe that they are boys, but what I am questioning is their fit as basketball players. If Kyrie gets the vaccine, the core of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving still stands. They could potentially be champions by now. This makes them the NBA's biggest "What If" team.
Who has the assets to trade for Durant + The Harsh Truth
The team that immediately came to mind was the Portland Trailblazers. It makes sense. They have the assets, young players, picks, and they are looking to contend this year. But the Blazers seem locked in on Anfernee Simons, and I doubt the Nets want to give up Kevin Durant without getting Anfernee Simons in return. The next team I thought of were the Phoenix Suns, and coincidentally, that team was at the top of Kevin Durant's list of preferred teams. I thought of a trade organized like this: Nets receive Deandre Ayton (S+T), Mikal Bridges, and three unprotected firsts. Suns receive Kevin Durant.
I looked at the trade, and it looked really good to me. Both teams were getting good value. The Nets start a rebuild with young players and picks, while the Suns make themselves the most dangerous team in the West. Until I saw a tweet saying that the Nets were not interested in Deandre Ayton. It's kind of a bummer, but that meant I had to make a different trade. Another team that was interested in KD was the Boston Celtics. I thought of a Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart for KD trade, but it makes no sense for the Celtics because they are going to want to run it back with the same core.
The harsh truth is, I don't think we are going to see a Kevin Durant trade this summer. No packages make sense for either team, and the Nets want at least two all stars in a package, which they might not get.
That also means that I don’t believe a Kyrie to Lakers trade will happen, although some major news reporters are saying otherwise. I just don’t see what the Lakers could give up. The Nets don’t want Westbrook. Nobody wants Westbrook.
Free Agency
Free Agency was fun. We had thirty free agent signings in the span of around thirty minutes. I'm going to be giving my reactions to the big free agent signings, starting with Brunson to the Knicks. I like it for the Knicks because they get their franchise point guard, which they desperately needed. I don't mind the money they are giving him, but I don't like the process that they took to get the cap space to sign him for that much money. It cost them a lottery pick, which they could've definitely used, and it was just a mess on draft night. Another big free agent signing was P.J. Tucker to the Sixers. I loved that move. PJ Tucker is the guy that every contender needs. He plays hard, plays great defense, and he is a certified three point shooter from the corner.
Heat Culture Is Too Powerful At This Point
There have been reports by Hoop Reports and NBA Central that the Heat have made an offer for Donovan Mitchell. It has also been reported that he wants to play in Miami. If he forces his way to Miami, the trade I made is the best the Jazz can do. They are getting young assets and picks, and the Heat don't have Jimmy Butler exhausted after every playoff run.
This has been Chrisgon. I hope to see you again.