NBA Trade Rumors: Price to land trade market’s remaining star just increased thanks to KD

One of the biggest pieces expected to move during the NBA trade season will have an increased price after the Kevin Durant trade, according to NBA rumors

The Brooklyn Nets and the arms race in the Western Conference, so far, are the two main characters of the NBA trade deadline. If NBA rumors tell us anything, it’s that said arms race is far from over, and the next big move could involve a direct response to the Kevin Durant trade that happened late Wednesday night.

OG Anunoby, for months, has been thought to be one of the best pieces available at the trade deadline. In recent years, the Raptors forward’s offense has improved considerably to pair with his best trait coming out of the draft, his defense.

Now that Durant is officially in the West, it raises the expected price to pay for Anunoby.

OG Anunoby’s price just went up thanks to Kevin Durant

The Nets got a massive haul in return for Kevin Durant. As such, that resets the market expectations. Also, the Raptors are now viewing Anunoby as a necessary piece for several Western Conference teams that need a direct counter to the Suns’ addition of Durant, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Toronto’s talks on forward O.G. Anunoby are rolling into the final hours of the trade deadline. The landing of Kevin Durant with the Suns could escalate Anunoby’s value among Western Conference teams pursuing an elite forward to defend Durant.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023

Durant, one of the best offensive players in the game, is tough to stop. You need a top-tier defender to even have any sort of chance, and Anunoby fits that bill. In the three games they’ve played against one another this year, when Anunoby is his primary defender, Durant is shooting 33.3 percent from the field and 18.2 percent from beyond the arc (his season averages in those areas are 55.9 percent and 37.6 percent, respectively).

Expect Anunoby to head West. The Nuggets, currently best in the West could be one destination. A split between them and Bones Hyland has been gaining traction and the Raptors have already seemed interested.

The Grizzlies, who are a second seed, have Dillon Brooks, so we can skip past them. The Kings as the third seed could swap Anunoby in for Keegan Murray in their current starting five and have a huge defensive upgrade.

We won’t have to wait long to find out where Anunoby is headed, but it’s going to cost a pretty penny.

This article was originally published by Fansided.com. Read the original article here.