To get Kevin Durant by the NBA trade deadline, the Denver Nuggets will have to give the Brooklyn Nets a princely sum. A KD deal obviously seems more likely now than it did previously, especially in the wake of Kyrie Irving's departure to the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets must take advantage of this opportunity. Sure, Denver is the top team in the Western Conference at the moment. Still, would they really pass on the chance to land someone like KD? Nuggets fans would absolutely love having reigning MVP Nikola Jokic with former MVP Durant. Here we will look at the Nuggets’ perfect trade offer to acquire Kevin Durant ahead of the trade deadline.
The Nuggets, despite having the back-to-back NBA MVP, have frequently failed to live up to expectations in the postseason. Right now, Jokic is putting up around 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. Despite that, we cannot really call the Nuggets a perennial title challenger, right? This is a very good regular-season team. Right now, they're certainly the best in the West. However, when the playoffs kick in, do we really have faith that Denver will go far?
BREAKING: Nikola Jokic is now averaging a 25-point triple-double on the season as a CENTER 🤯
Just give him the MVP already. pic.twitter.com/zJvmC08iJ1
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 1, 2023
Nope. Keep in mind that Denver has never advanced past the Western Conference Finals. They have actually regressed in each of the last two postseasons. Getting to the next level is the team's biggest problem. Now that everyone is healthy again, the Nuggets may wait it out and hope that a core of Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Jokic can carry them far in the playoffs. However, if a trade for Durant is even a remote possibility, it would be silly for the Nuggets to rule out adding the Slim Reaper.
Prior to the start of the season, there were reports that the Denver Nuggets were actively exploring a trade for Durant. The Nuggets should now be even more motivated to pursue a deal.
As such, let us look at the Nuggets’ actual perfect Kevin Durant trade.
Nuggets’ perfect trade for Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant to the Nuggets for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter, and an unprotected first-round pick
The Nuggets are open to trading any player except Nikola Jokic for Kevin Durant. Everyone else is fair game. Either Porter Jr. or Murray could be the main piece in Denver's offer to the Nets for KF. We believe this should also include Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. However, there is a risk that the often-injured Porter may not reach his full potential as a scorer. That said, the Nuggets might need to give up a player like Murray or Aaron Gordon to acquire Durant. Nevertheless, Denver is expected to pursue Durant.
The trade would result in Brooklyn sending Durant outside their conference. Additionally, they would acquire draft capital for their rebuilding process. KCP and Porter Jr. aren't slouches, too.
Right now, KCP is averaging 11.4 points and 2.0 triples per game. He is shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Porter is having a pretty fine season. He is putting up around 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 triples per game. He is hitting threes with 40.8 percent accuracy.
Adding those two means the Nets could potentially put forth a starting five featuring Spencer Dinwiddie, KCP, Ben Simmons, Porter Jr., and Nic Claxton. And then they'd have Seth Curry, Royce O'Neale, Joe Harris, and Patty Mills off the bench. That's actually not too shabby considering all other things. More importantly, they would no longer have to be hostages to superstar egos. They can rebuild their roster on their own terms.
On the other end, Denver would have to sacrifice some roster depth, but Durant's value surely justifies it. When all is said and done, having KD puts the Nuggets closer to a title run compared to before. Jokic wouldn't have to do the heavy lifting on his own. And if opponents figure him out, they'd have to scheme for Kevin Durant, too. Good luck with that. The Nuggets would transform from postseason pretenders to legitimate Larry O'Brien contenders.
Denver's pursuit of Durant is clearly aimed at improving their championship prospects. As for the Nets, this would secure an opportunity for them to retake their future.
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