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Superstar forward Kevin Durant shook the foundations of the basketball globe on Thursday afternoon, expressing his desire to be traded from his latest staff — the Brooklyn Nets.
In the hours and days because then, rumours and trade simulations have operate rampant as media and fans attempt to decipher the most possible landing place for the 12-time All-Star.
A seemingly not likely prospect may possibly arise: the Toronto Raptors.
The crew from up north could be a dark horse to get Durant, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski proposed on Friday’s edition of NBA Today.
“I feel a workforce that is lurking, and is going to lurk in this is Toronto,” explained Wojnarowski. “They have all the sorts of pieces that you would want and their picks to do a offer for Kevin Durant.”
The distinguished parts Toronto could present involve veteran and 2021-22 third crew All-NBA assortment Pascal Siakam, sharpshooting and ball-hawking guard Gary Trent Jr., prototypical 3-and-D wing OG Anunoby, or even franchise place guard and 2021-22 all-star Fred VanVleet. But, with out a doubt, the most prized trade chip is reigning Rookie of the Year winner Scottie Barnes.
The Raptors would preferably like to maintain Barnes and not have to go their 2021 No. 4 general decide for any player, regardless of their calibre, Wojnarowski adds.
Toronto has enticing property, but would president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri and general supervisor Bobby Webster commit to these kinds of a team and franchise-altering shakeup?
Properly, they have performed it right before.
In July 2018 the Raptors sent franchise icon and faithful all-star DeMar DeRozan to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for ahead and 2014 Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, even nevertheless the San Diego Point out solution had performed in just nine contests the time prior and experienced only 1 year still left on his agreement.
“(The Raptors) have an group leader in Masai Ujiri, who you observed he took the prospect on Kawhi Leonard with 1 year remaining on his offer,” stated Wojnarowski.
That probability paid out off as Toronto captured the franchise’s to start with NBA championship in the 2018-19 year, with Leonard having property his 2nd Finals MVP trophy.
The requisite pieces may be in area, and Raptors’ brass has a monitor history of rolling the dice, but does Durant want to go to Toronto and continue to be long time period?
It was reported soon following the request was introduced, that the Miami Warmth and Phoenix Suns ended up amid the teams Durant had on his place “would like checklist,” in accordance to Wojnarowski, with no such point out of the Raptors.
Durant has expressed some type of fascination in becoming a member of the franchise, citing the Raptors as his favorite crew developing up through his childhood in Washington, D.C.
However, how considerably stock can administration place into remarks produced virtually a 10 years back about expressed curiosity relationship back to the late-1990s and early-2000s?
Whoever lands the all-time wonderful will require the trade package, the gumption, and potentially an interesting vacation spot to harbour a very long-phrase mutually valuable tenure.
On near evaluation, it seems the Raptors do have a mix of ingredients to possibly pull off just one of the greatest blockbuster trades in the league’s record. The question is, as Wojnarowski put it: “How significantly are the Raptors prepared to go?”
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