Because the Brooklyn Nets try and commerce Kevin Durant for one thing resembling truthful worth, they not solely must deal with the groups they’re negotiating with, however Durant himself. He has supplied two groups, the Miami Warmth and Phoenix Suns, as most well-liked locations. This is the place issues get sophisticated: Durant reportedly solely desires to go to the Warmth if most of their group is saved intact.

Based on The Athletic, Durant would solely wish to play for the Warmth if he may achieve this alongside Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Kyle Lowry. Contemplating what little property Miami must supply Brooklyn except for these three, a Warmth commerce now seems considerably unlikely.

We will safely say that Butler was by no means on the desk. Lowry is effective to a contender solely. So if Adebayo is not obtainable both, what may Miami supply? The bundle can be constructed round Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson as wage ballast. The Warmth may supply No. 27 total choose Nikola Jovic together with three future first-rounders and three first-round choose swaps. That is an enormous supply for nearly anyone, but it surely’s not going to be sufficient to land Durant.

This is one other complication: Even when the Warmth and Durant had been open to a deal involving Adebayo, he legally cannot be traded to the Nets proper now. Groups are usually not allowed to have a number of gamers on designated rookie extensions that had been acquired through commerce, and the Nets have already got Ben Simmons on such a contract. Total, this places the Warmth at a big drawback within the Durant sweepstakes. 

The Suns must quit fairly a bit to get Durant as properly, but when they might achieve this with out sacrificing Devin Booker or Chris Paul, they’d doubtless nonetheless have sufficient to entice the previous MVP. If Durant really desires Phoenix above all different locations, this kind of leak is smart. If he may discourage the Warmth, one of many major threats to the Suns can be off of the board. For now, we’re so early within the course of that saying something definitively can be silly.