The Toronto Raptors' interest in trading for Kevin Durant has caused quite the stir amongst fans. On one hand, there are fans who feel that getting a player of Durant's caliber is worth any price. On the other hand, a certain portion of the fanbase feels strongly about refusing to give up major assets for an older star with injury concerns.

The biggest talking point in the Kevin Durant to Raptors trade talks is, of course, Scottie Barnes. It's common knowledge at this point that Masai Ujiri will need to give up the Rookie of the Year for the Nets to even consider their offer. According to a recent report, though, it seems like the acclaimed general manager isn't keen on doing that… or is he? (via New York Post)

“The Raptors have balked at the notion of putting Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes in any deal, although those same executives opined that could be a negotiating ploy by savvy Masai Ujiri, who has a history of pulling off huge trades.”

As pointed out in the article, Ujiri is no stranger to making huge trades in his career. The 2019 deal that sent Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors comes into mind here. In fact, many people are citing this as the biggest reason why Ujiri will pull off another heist. However, the biggest difference here is what Toronto will have to give up in order to acquire.

Back in 2019, we knew who exactly DeMar DeRozan was. He was an All-Star guard who could carry the Raptors in the regular season, but never further than that. We knew what exactly he brings to the table, his strengths, his weaknesses. It seemed unlikely at the time that there'd be more changes to his game.

Scottie Barnes, on the other hand, is still a rookie, but he's been arguably the Raptors' second-best player at times during the regular season. At just 20 years old, Barnes looked like an NBA-ready point forward from day one. His feel for the game on both ends of the ball was incredible. In addition, his perceived weaknesses prior to the draft (shooting and scoring ability) seemed to be overblown. It's not a big stretch to say he's the most promising rookie in franchise history since Vince Carter.

Nets, Raptors, Scottie Barnes, Kevin Durant

Therein lies the problem with a potential Scottie Barnes for Kevin Durant trade. In 2019, the Raptors traded a known quantity for Kawhi Leonard. If the Raptors trade Barnes for Durant, it's essentially trading a potential star who will stay with the city for the long-run for four years of playoff contention.

Hell, the Raptors might not even get four years from Kevin Durant if he's traded there! We've seen time and time again that KD is not afraid to demand a trade or switch teams if he's unhappy with the franchise. If the “Dur-onto” experiment fails in the first few years, will KD ask to be traded again? If he does do that in this hypothetical scenario, the Raps will be in the same situation the Nets find themselves in right now.

That's not even mentioning the other players who will be moved with Scottie Barnes in a potential Kevin Durant deal. Most trade packages that have been floating around for the Raptors involve OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. in order to match salaries. Like Barnes, both players are still relatively young and have ample room for growth. If not for Durant, we'd be looking at these two players as potential cornerstones of a future Raptors team.

At the same time, though, it's rare for someone of Durant's caliber to be available in a trade. The Raptors have historically had trouble signing free agents AND keeping their free agents. The only way the Raptors have been able to get All-Star talents is either through the NBA draft (which has a low success rate, if we're being honest) or through trades. No one of Durant's caliber has even considered signing with Toronto. Nabbing him in a trade could be worth it, especially if it means one to two years of title contention.

At the end of the day, the decision to trade for Kevin Durant hinges on what risk Masai Ujiri is willing to take for Toronto. Is he willing to risk the future of your franchise for a few years of potential title contention? Or does he put all his eggs on the basket that he himself built, and hope that the players you draft turn out to be superstars.

It's an unenviable position to be in right now. If there's any executive who can navigate this tricky situation perfectly, though, it has to be Ujiri.