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Never before has she been in a situation where one of the best players is available for trade and is not close to expiring on her contract. Lebron James changed clubs every time as a free agent. Durant has done the same so far.
Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and many others left a year before the contract expired because the clubs knew that otherwise they would be left without any compensation... But Durant still has four years left on his contract, which he extended with the Nets last season, while James Harden was still in the club, and Kyrie Irving had not yet entered into a conflict with management over his own extension.
Realizing that the friend he came to rule Brooklyn with three years ago was now on his way out, Durant wanted a change as well.
The Nets want to grant Durant a wish, and it is Phoenix or Miami
Unlike Irving, whom they did not want to be tied to in the long term, the Nets have a good relationship with Durant and are ready to fulfill his wish and even make an effort to send him to one of the destinations that meet at least most of his criteria.
And because of that, the idea of ​​Durant's departure could turn into a saga that will last the whole summer. KD listed Phoenix and Miami as preferred destinations, both because of the team's competitiveness and because of the warm climate.
But in order to send him there, the Nets should seek the help of one or two other clubs that would be involved in the trade, or find a way to get rid of Ben Simmons, whose presence on the staff complicates the transfer. Namely, while he was still in Philadelphia, Simmons signed a maximum contract extension as their rookie.
Clubs may not have more than one such player if they did not give him that contract. That means that while Simmons is with the Nets, they can't bring in a number of young stars, such as Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo, who would be the most important part of the package leaving Phoenix and Miami, respectively.
However, according to bookmakers, Phoenix is ​​the favorite for Durant's new destination, and in second place, to the horror of the Americans, are the Toronto Raptors, because one of the biggest stars could end up in the only non-American NBA club.
The combinations include New Orleans, Chicago, Portland, and the Golden State Warriors, the current champions with whom he already won two titles and left them three years ago. The LA Lakers also want to join the game, but no one takes them seriously.