The Brooklyn Nets got a shock to their system on Thursday when Kevin Durant officially requested a trade. The organization was likely preparing for NBA free agency to open up Thursday evening, instead, they need to completely pivot to figuring out how and where they can trade the future Hall of Fame forward.
Durant reportedly has a list of two teams as his preferred destinations, the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns. In order for the Nets to make a deal with the Suns, it's highly likely that Devin Booker would have to be part of that deal.
Bleacher Report writer Jake Fischer detailed how that could work.
“From Brooklyn's perspective, sources said, there's no deal to land Durant in Phoenix that doesn't start with sending back Devin Booker to Barclays Center. The Suns, of course, would likely hold the line firm. But early indications are the Nets brass is not particularly inclined to take a sign-and-trade that brings back unrestricted free agent Deandre Ayton.”
The Nets certainly do not have a ton of leverage. They need to trade Durant. But Durant still has four years left on his contract that he signed last summer. That at least provides some leverage for Brooklyn to wait for the right deal. There is no chance KD would risk missing one of his likely few seasons remaining at an elite level just because he doesn't like the fit.
Phoenix will try to do anything they possibly can to hold on to Booker. If a sign-and-trade with Ayton doesn't work, a package including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and a number of picks might be the next best they can offer. That's not likely to get it done.
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