Nets forward Kevin Durant. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Durant reportedly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Is it actually possible for the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire him to build a superteam?
June 30 was the official start of NBA free agency. Every signing in this period will be overshadowed, as the Brooklyn Nets are dominating headlines once again, and it has nothing to do with Kyrie Irving.
After being with the team for the past three seasons, star Kevin Durant officially requested a trade from the Nets, per multiple reports. Brooklyn is now in a position where they have to trade their best player, which is far from an enviable position to be in. The Nets reportedly want a historic return, but Durant has the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat at the top of his wish list. Anything can happen when it comes to where Durant will play next season and beyond.
Could a superteam of Durant and LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers actually happen?
Is Kevin Durant to the Lakers actually realistic?
The Lakers chances of landing Durant may very well be minimal.
Brooklyn would want a gigantic return for Durant, and understandably so. You do not trade away a player like Durant for nothing. That means they will not only want players to help them avoid a rebuild and to hlep them contend for the playoffs, but they need draft picks. The rights to Brooklyn’s first-round picks over the next five years belong to the Houston Rockets following the James Harden trade.
Los Angeles may be able to trade players, but they do not have the suitable draft capital that could entice Brooklyn to accept a deal. The Lakers do not have the rights to their own first-round pick until 2026.
Durant may not be feasible for the Lakers, but maybe they take another run at Kyrie Irving.