(Photo by ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Even before Kevin Durant made a trade request, the thought of cashing out on him in a deal and going in a different direction must’ve crossed the minds of the Nets front office. Now thanks to the Rudy Gobert trade, the Nets have to be excited on some level about the return they could get for Durant. Several reporters are already hyping out the eventual deal to be the mother of all trades.
The Jazz extracted the maximum of four first-round picks (three unprotected and one Top 5 protected) that a team could move per the Stepien rule, as well as two recent first-round picks and several solid veterans. Is it possible the Nets get more than that? Maybe not, especially since Durant is almost 34 years old and has had durability issues these past three seasons. But the Gobert return should at least represent the floor of what the Nets will get for Durant.
As we discussed last week, Durant’s preferences don’t make the most optimal offers versus teams like the New York Knicks or New Orleans Pelicans. For example, the Suns could offer up to four first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029 like the Jazz, but there’s a good chance those picks might not be so valuable if they’re getting Durant. But where that offer lacks potentially quality picks, it could make up for that with great players like Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, and Cameron Johnson.
