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On Sunday afternoon, the Kevin Durant trade saga came to an end when the Phoenix Suns dealt the superstar to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a package including Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and draft compensation. The deal, originally reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, gives the Rockets a chance to compete for an NBA championship while signaling the end of a disappointing era in Phoenix.
While the Rockets were long rumored to be one of the major candidates for a potential Durant trade, recently, Charania reported on some other teams who reportedly threw their hat into the ring, including one that may raise NBA fans' eyebrows.
“Several other wild-card suitors emerged as well — including the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets, sources said,” per Charania.
That's right–the Denver Nuggets apparently tried their hand at aquiring Durant, which would have marked a seisemic shift in the Western Conference.
However, Charania noted that “with Durant on an expiring, $54.7 million contract and eligible for a new two-year extension after the trade, the league's market for him clearly showed his ability to dictate whether he wanted to play for a franchise long term.”
What could have been for the Nuggets
The Nuggets have made no secret of the fact that they are looking to rebuild themselves into a championship contender around Nikola Jokic this offseason.
Trading for Durant would have given them a chance to do just that, giving Jokic the first truly elite wing scorer he would have played with in his career and re-opening their championship window for the next couple of years.
However, as Charania noted, Durant was largely in control of the decision-making process for the Suns, and it's also worth considering whether Phoenix's asking price was too high for what the Nuggets would have been willing to give up.
Regardless, Nuggets fans will likely lose some sleep thinking about what the team would have looked like with Durant in the fold.
Meanwhile, Durant and his new Rockets team will look to take another step forward in the Western Conference after securing the second seed a year ago.
