The Feb. 9 trade deadline is approaching, and many big names seem to be on the market. Following the deal involving Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, the Brooklyn Nets might end up moving other big names from their roster. Most notably, Kevin Durant's name has reappeared in trade rumors.
The forward requested a trade in the offseason but ended up agreeing to stay with the team. However, with Irving on his way out of Brooklyn, Kevin Durant might also want to leave and have a brand-new start.
Kevin Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He is hitting 55.9% of his field goals, 37.6% of his 3-point shots and a league-best 93.4% of his attempts from the free-throw line. He is also blocking 1.5 shots a night and recording 0.8 steals.
Despite his knee injury, some teams would certainly try to bring him to their squad. One of them is the Toronto Raptors. They are 25-30 and currently only the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference. As of now, they would be out of the Play-In Tournament. Because of that, Toronto might go after Durant once again to turn its season around.
With that being said, here is the perfect trade the Toronto Raptors must offer the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
Perfect Trade Offer Raptors Must Make For Nets’ Kevin Durant
Toronto receives: Kevin Durant
Brooklyn receives: OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., Thaddeus Young, 2023 first-round pick, a future first-round and a pick swap
In this hypothetical trade offer, the main asset the Raptors would offer is OG Anunoby. The forward has popped up in plenty of trade rumors since the offseason, including when Kevin Durant originally requested a trade.
Anunoby is averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He is shooting 45.7% from the field, 36.6% from the 3-point line and a career-best 82.1% from the charity stripe. Most notably, he is recording 2.1 steals a contest.
At the age of 25, Anunoby could be a big piece of Brooklyn's rebuilding phase post-Durant and Irving. He would take over Kevin Durant's position and become an important two-way player for the franchise.
He is also a reliable 3-point shooter with playoff experience, which can be helpful among youngsters such as Cam Thomas and Day'Ron Sharpe.
Another important piece of this trade would be Gary Trent Jr. He is having a career year, averaging 18.7 points, 2.5 boards and 1.5 assists. His shooting splits are 45-37-84.
Trent is only 24, so he could also be part of Brooklyn's rebuilding. The guard is reportedly receiving some interest around the league, which means that the Nets might value him more than fans believe.
Thaddeus Young would mostly help match the salaries. He brings some experience as well, but since his 2023-24 salary is only partially guaranteed, it would not hurt Brooklyn's plans moving forward.
Then, the first-round picks and the pick swap could help the Nets by bringing them more young players to their roster in the upcoming seasons. Since the Raptors would probably be an improved team with Kevin Durant, those picks would likely be in the late teens.
At the end of the day, Toronto owns all of its first-round picks and has many promising young players. A package with Anunoby, Trent and multiple first-rounders could be enough to convince the Nets to accept trading a player such as Durant.
While the Nets may ultimately want more draft picks for a player of Durant's caliber, a deal centered around the Raptors' young talents, as well as two first rounders, is a solid baseline for potential negotiations between the two franchises.
Should Kevin Durant request a trade ahead of the deadline, the Raptors should consider offering a trade right away.
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