[Charania] - Durant’s business partner, Rich Kleiman, are sorting through trade options (HOU, SAS, MIN, MIA, NY))

[TGM]

Don’t think Ja is available.

Whatever trade we take part in I just would like to keep this years pick and grab either Srober or Malauch.

Unless it’s for Giannis I send a later pick.

[WuTang_OG]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/how-do-raptors-stack-among-leagues-best/

Sources suggesting the Raptors were and would be again interested in finding a way to make a deal for Antetokounmpo work are credible, and consistent with the buzz I’ve heard here at the NBA Finals. And the same is true for Durant, who the Raptors were linked to — again, credibly — prior to the 2022-23 season.

According to league sources, the Raptors were monitoring Durant’s availability leading up to the trade deadline this past February so it’s not surprising that the Raptors have been referenced as a team that might be willing to take a one-year "gamble" on Durant, who is under contract for 54.7 million for the upcoming season at age 37.

Durant — who has some leverage on where the Phoenix Suns might send him depending on his willingness to sign an extension with a new team — has reportedly narrowed his list of preferred destinations to San Antonio, Houston and Miami. That won’t stop the Suns from listening to other offers, or, conceivably, teams like the Raptors from making them — accepting that they may end up paying top dollar for an elite rental.


The Raptors made a similar calculation in the summer of 2018 when they acquired Kawhi Leonard, who only wanted the Spurs to trade him to Los Angeles, and were rewarded with a title and an MVP-level, Finals MVP-winning season from Leonard before he left in free agency.

But it’s been interesting being around these two Finals teams in 2025, wondering if the Raptors might be over-reaching a bit if indeed they are thinking of making a big play for Durant.

Getting KD (a long shot, given his reported preferences, but humour me) would be one thing, but what about the other "Ds"?

A move like that gets you a dude — over his past two seasons, even at age 35 and 36, Durant is all of that as he averaged 26.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists over 137 games on almost unfathomable efficiency, shooting 57 per cent on two-point field goal attempts and 42.1 per cent on threes against the best defenders the NBA can offer.

And presuming Toronto hangs on to Scottie Barnes — and why else would you make a trade for Durant if not to create a contending-level duo with the Raptors still-developing fifth-year star — there is a reasonable expectation that Barnes could provide the support Durant would need to make his impact felt.

But where would the Raptors stand in terms of dogs and depth?

If the standard is what the Pacers and Thunder can put on the floor, you’d have to say not particularly well.

Among the Raptors' youngsters, there’s reason to be optimistic that the likes of Jamal Shead, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamison Battle (we’re presuming the Raptors' ninth overall pick in the upcoming draft would be part of any trade) showing signs of being the kind of players who could populate the bottom half of a playoff rotation, but only at some point in the future. Individually and collectively, they each have holes in their games that would need filling for that to happen, and there’s no guarantee of that happening, and certainly not by next season.

The Raptors were certainly deeper last season and project to be again this coming year, but that’s before excluding anyone who gets wrapped up in whatever trade package it would take to hypothetically land Durant.

Per league sources, the Suns want both good players and a package of picks as the internal expectation is that they will be competitive next season.

Consider too that the Orlando Magic — a considerably better team than the Raptors the past two seasons — made a significant move Sunday to acquire 26-year-old shooting guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. That deal required the Magic to give up a two-time NBA champion and high-end 3-and-D player in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a rotation-level guard in Cole Anthony and rights to four future first-round draft picks.


The Eastern Conference offers a path to being competitive sooner rather than later – the upstart Pacers, who won just 35 games two seasons ago, are suddenly everyone’s hope and example. But it’s not as simple as adding a single star.

And even when the Raptors did it with Leonard, they were already a 59-win team and still had to make another deal for Marc Gasol. These Raptors are not that.

The Thunder, with an average age of 24.15, are the youngest team in the NBA and would be the youngest team to win the Finals since the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers won with a roster that averaged 25.03. The Pacers are not far off, with an average age of 25.02.

And yet each crew has some miles on it, and most importantly, miles travelled together.

Gilgeous-Alexander was talking specifically about his third-year teammates Williams and Chet Holmgren when he was asked about the strides they’d made over the past two playoff funs, but his words ring true for the Thunder as a whole as they try to translate phenomenal regular-season success (an NBA-best 125 wins the past two seasons combined) into a championship.

“I think what they have done a really good job of is just getting better. I think through the two series last year, through the whole season and then the three series leading up to this one, they just used every opportunity to get better,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on Sunday.

“Because they focused on that and because that's what they have taken care of, they have been ready for the opportunity (and) the moment. So I think that above all, they have really hammered home as long as you — you're going to go through experiences and you're going to fail and you're going to succeed in some, but figuring out how to learn and get better through them is what's really going to help you ultimately get to where you want to get to.”




“There's no surprises, to be honest with you,” he said when I asked him about how he thought his young team was handling the heat of their first Finals together and coming off a tough loss in Game 4 at home. "I know our group very well. I'm proud of our resilience. We've had to find different ways to win for the last two, three months. So, proud of that. We'll just continue to respond … It's the best part about playoff series, is when you get the chance to respond.

"I look forward to doing that with this group, coming out and competing."

Both teams can come into the biggest game of their seasons – in many cases, their careers — with the confidence earned through shared experience and the knowledge that they have the "Three Ds" well covered.

It’s worth considering if indeed the Raptors were to pursue KD — are they really one ageing, albeit still great, star away from being a team that contends with either of the teams playing in Game 5 (on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+) Monday night?

Championships are not won by dudes alone. These Finals are proving that, regardless of which team comes out on top.

MORE FROM SPORTSNET

[WuTang_OG]

How does this affect the Kevin Durant trade saga?
In speaking with several sources Sunday in the wake of the Bane deal, the universal belief is that any draft packages going to Phoenix in a Durant deal likely won't surpass the haul of draft picks coming to Memphis for Bane, who hasn't yet made an All-Star team.

"Everyone has to throw their prior precedents and baselines out," said one executive, who referred to not only the Bane trade but the five first-rounders the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges last year as having nothing to do with how to properly value Durant.

"Those deals don't mean Durant is worth 12 firsts now," they said.

But what, exactly, is Durant worth? It's the question people around the league continue to ask as the saga continues.


As ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday night, Durant is willing to sign a contract extension with three teams: the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. But sources around the league are still talking about the Minnesota Timberwolves as a potential landing spot for Durant.

What does seem clear is that the package isn't going to be anywhere near the haul that the Brooklyn Nets received for Durant 2½ years ago, a deal consummated within the first 24 hours owner Mat Ishbia took control of the Suns. How Ishbia will react to that will be telling, and could determine how this process plays out.

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/45521332/nba-offseason-2025-intel-desmond-bane-trade-means-durant-draft

[TheGeneral99]

How does this affect the Kevin Durant trade saga?
In speaking with several sources Sunday in the wake of the Bane deal, the universal belief is that any draft packages going to Phoenix in a Durant deal likely won't surpass the haul of draft picks coming to Memphis for Bane, who hasn't yet made an All-Star team.

"Everyone has to throw their prior precedents and baselines out," said one executive, who referred to not only the Bane trade but the five first-rounders the New York Knicks traded for Mikal Bridges last year as having nothing to do with how to properly value Durant.

"Those deals don't mean Durant is worth 12 firsts now," they said.

But what, exactly, is Durant worth? It's the question people around the league continue to ask as the saga continues.


As ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday night, Durant is willing to sign a contract extension with three teams: the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. But sources around the league are still talking about the Minnesota Timberwolves as a potential landing spot for Durant.

What does seem clear is that the package isn't going to be anywhere near the haul that the Brooklyn Nets received for Durant 2½ years ago, a deal consummated within the first 24 hours owner Mat Ishbia took control of the Suns. How Ishbia will react to that will be telling, and could determine how this process plays out.

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/45521332/nba-offseason-2025-intel-desmond-bane-trade-means-durant-draft

Well this makes sense...Bane is 26 years and has 3 years left on his deal while Durant is 37 years old and has 1 year left.

[navyblue]

Windy in reference to durant trade

Toronto is lurking out there, toronto has made the #9 pick available in addition to other players avalaible, in multiple different scenarios

[youtube]https://youtu.be/EIFYeV4X3-s?si=2WrhxKpUuOO1cc4s&t=650[/youtube]

[sidsid]

That defence would be historically bad lol. I wouldn't send out Ochai over RJ, so RJ and like GD or JKW.

We can't send out Yak in any hypothetical trade scenarios that don't involve a big man coming back, unless you want to run Scottie into the ground having him play center for an entire season. Unless you think that Ulrich Chomche is ready to take up the majority of minutes at C, which let's be real, he's probably not.

Much like the first time KD was in the news, and Lillard, we cannot get these guys, without gutting incredibly important roles on the team. If we ship out Jak and we rely on a young guy like Chomche or Malauch etc. then we are just wasting time.

I'm only somewhat pro KD trade, because I think the current core is pretty crappy, and if we're gonna make short-sighted moves like trading for BI, why not go all in. At least that would be entertaining vs some weak 1st round exit team year in and out. But there is no way to bring in KD, and manage a roster that will be anything but fodder for the real teams.

Extremely unlikely that we're an actual contender with this trade, but it's a full level less delusional than the thinking behind the Jak trade was at the time, and that still happened.

Getting back to the trade. There is no need for this trade to address any other needs. That's what the FA period and subsequent trades are for. And it's important to remember that we got Gasol later in the season, so the deadline is also a great spot to get those vets being pawned off.

As long as we don't give up an important pick, this would be a fun season to watch at least. We were going nowhere regardless with Jak/RJ.

[sidsid]

I would be all over this if we had the same team we had for Kawhi. But this team just has way too many question marks to become a contender overnight. We would need a lot to go right even if we got KD.

Just doesn't seem like a trade the old Masai would do. Adding an old deprecating asset to a team with a lot of question marks.

Unless Masai decides to gut the team and trade everyone for pieces that fit the timeline of gunning for a ring in the next two years with KD.

Masai crossed a fork in the road when he bailed on the Wemby lotto draft for the Jak trade. The chance to accumulate assets and build that cupboard to make trades isn't there, and the BI trade cemented it. The team isn't tanking and it's already expensive.

Masai would absolutely do this, and potentially other follow-up consolidation trades, to go for it. The team doesn't have the asset runway of the chip team, but that's his fault for a lack of patience.

Masai and lack of patience in the same sentence is crazy.

I think Masai was hoping one of OG, Pascal or Fred would turn into a number one option after we won our ring. He just didn't want to break these guys up.

He probably kept that group together a bit to long. He also didn't really add any shooting or solid players to help those guys.

I would have no problem with the current team but it's just way to expensive for what it is.

Patience for asset accumulation, not for seeing out how the current core of your team works. Giannis and the Bucks have had tremendous patience on the core front, but they've bled every asset to get there.

Patience to trade for futures instead of ready players (e.g. the OG trade, the Jak trade) is how you build the framework of a team that can then do a KD trade with high upside.

[LoveMyRaps]

Read on Twitter

He's a Raptor

[Jerry Lucas]

Read on Twitter

He's a Raptor

Or TWolf

[LoveMyRaps]

He's a Raptor

Read on Twitter

[Reeko]

We can't send out Yak in any hypothetical trade scenarios that don't involve a big man coming back, unless you want to run Scottie into the ground having him play center for an entire season. Unless you think that Ulrich Chomche is ready to take up the majority of minutes at C, which let's be real, he's probably not.

Much like the first time KD was in the news, and Lillard, we cannot get these guys, without gutting incredibly important roles on the team. If we ship out Jak and we rely on a young guy like Chomche or Malauch etc. then we are just wasting time.

I'm only somewhat pro KD trade, because I think the current core is pretty crappy, and if we're gonna make short-sighted moves like trading for BI, why not go all in. At least that would be entertaining vs some weak 1st round exit team year in and out. But there is no way to bring in KD, and manage a roster that will be anything but fodder for the real teams.

Extremely unlikely that we're an actual contender with this trade, but it's a full level less delusional than the thinking behind the Jak trade was at the time, and that still happened.

Getting back to the trade. There is no need for this trade to address any other needs. That's what the FA period and subsequent trades are for. And it's important to remember that we got Gasol later in the season, so the deadline is also a great spot to get those vets being pawned off.

As long as we don't give up an important pick, this would be a fun season to watch at least. We were going nowhere regardless with Jak/RJ.

Sure but we still had a legit center in JV and we were one of the top teams in the East when we traded for Gasol. So we were very much trading from a position of strength. No guarantee that adding Durant and trading away RJ and Yak makes us significantly better much less one of the top teams in the East.

[TorontoBarneys]

He's a Raptor

Read on Twitter

Man I hope this won't end up being a Hakeem situation if he comes over.

[JB7]

He's a Raptor

Read on Twitter

Durant has narrowed his list. Suns are just trying to squeeze those 3 teams, and bringing in rumors about other teams outside the 3, is to create more leverage for a deal with one of those 3 teams.

[sidsid]

Much like the first time KD was in the news, and Lillard, we cannot get these guys, without gutting incredibly important roles on the team. If we ship out Jak and we rely on a young guy like Chomche or Malauch etc. then we are just wasting time.

I'm only somewhat pro KD trade, because I think the current core is pretty crappy, and if we're gonna make short-sighted moves like trading for BI, why not go all in. At least that would be entertaining vs some weak 1st round exit team year in and out. But there is no way to bring in KD, and manage a roster that will be anything but fodder for the real teams.

Extremely unlikely that we're an actual contender with this trade, but it's a full level less delusional than the thinking behind the Jak trade was at the time, and that still happened.

Getting back to the trade. There is no need for this trade to address any other needs. That's what the FA period and subsequent trades are for. And it's important to remember that we got Gasol later in the season, so the deadline is also a great spot to get those vets being pawned off.

As long as we don't give up an important pick, this would be a fun season to watch at least. We were going nowhere regardless with Jak/RJ.

Sure but we still had a legit center in JV and we were one of the top teams in the East when we traded for Gasol. So we were very much trading from a position of strength. No guarantee that adding Durant and trading away RJ and Yak makes us significantly better much less one of the top teams in the East.

Oh, I don't think it would guarantee anything either. I only said it would be fun.

[Scase]

Much like the first time KD was in the news, and Lillard, we cannot get these guys, without gutting incredibly important roles on the team. If we ship out Jak and we rely on a young guy like Chomche or Malauch etc. then we are just wasting time.

I'm only somewhat pro KD trade, because I think the current core is pretty crappy, and if we're gonna make short-sighted moves like trading for BI, why not go all in. At least that would be entertaining vs some weak 1st round exit team year in and out. But there is no way to bring in KD, and manage a roster that will be anything but fodder for the real teams.

Extremely unlikely that we're an actual contender with this trade, but it's a full level less delusional than the thinking behind the Jak trade was at the time, and that still happened.

Getting back to the trade. There is no need for this trade to address any other needs. That's what the FA period and subsequent trades are for. And it's important to remember that we got Gasol later in the season, so the deadline is also a great spot to get those vets being pawned off.

As long as we don't give up an important pick, this would be a fun season to watch at least. We were going nowhere regardless with Jak/RJ.

Sure but we still had a legit center in JV and we were one of the top teams in the East when we traded for Gasol. So we were very much trading from a position of strength. No guarantee that adding Durant and trading away RJ and Yak makes us significantly better much less one of the top teams in the East.

Oh for sure, it's no solution of anything, nor do I see it as a true contender. But it'll be fun to watch, and would be more interesting than this mediocre group.

[Pointgod]

He's a Raptor

Read on Twitter

Man I hope this won't end up being a Hakeem situation if he comes over.

This. It’s very possible that we could miss the freaking playoffs even with Durant, given him and Ingrams spotty track record of health. And if you’re Kevin Durant do you really want to spend the last years of your career on a struggling Raptors team?

[WWSRD]

NBA Franchise the Toronto Leverage

[TimeForChange]

Read on Twitter

[Reeko]

Extremely unlikely that we're an actual contender with this trade, but it's a full level less delusional than the thinking behind the Jak trade was at the time, and that still happened.

Getting back to the trade. There is no need for this trade to address any other needs. That's what the FA period and subsequent trades are for. And it's important to remember that we got Gasol later in the season, so the deadline is also a great spot to get those vets being pawned off.

As long as we don't give up an important pick, this would be a fun season to watch at least. We were going nowhere regardless with Jak/RJ.

Sure but we still had a legit center in JV and we were one of the top teams in the East when we traded for Gasol. So we were very much trading from a position of strength. No guarantee that adding Durant and trading away RJ and Yak makes us significantly better much less one of the top teams in the East.

Oh for sure, it's no solution of anything, nor do I see it as a true contender. But it'll be fun to watch, and would be more interesting than this mediocre group.

I see the appeal but if we’re going to trade for Durant he should be coming into a situation where he makes the team better and not just different but with ultimately the same results as before.

[Scase]

Sure but we still had a legit center in JV and we were one of the top teams in the East when we traded for Gasol. So we were very much trading from a position of strength. No guarantee that adding Durant and trading away RJ and Yak makes us significantly better much less one of the top teams in the East.

Oh for sure, it's no solution of anything, nor do I see it as a true contender. But it'll be fun to watch, and would be more interesting than this mediocre group.

I see the appeal but if we’re going to trade for Durant he should be coming into a situation where he makes the team better and not just different but with ultimately the same results as before.

Technically I think he would make the team better, but definitely not enough for it to be super meaningful. I just know that this core is going to be a mediocre outcome, and maybe seeing them fail with KD will finally make them understand that this is going nowhere.

Ideally, I would have loved us to not have wasted time and assets on the BI trade, and just keep building from what we had, but that's not in the cards. So if we're going to be short-sighted and try and speed up the process, don't half ass it.