NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 21: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against Royce O'Neale #23 of the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center on March 21, 2022 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Jazz 114-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Could the Utah Jazz land superstar Kevin Durant?
The Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets have been the stars of the offseason. The Jazz traded their star center for a massive haul of role players and picks, and the Nets are trying desperately to keep Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving happy. The Jazz are rumored to be shopping young superstar Donovan Mitchell around the league, but they haven’t found a good deal yet.
The Jazz and Nets also made a trade of their own. Brooklyn got Royce O’Neale in exchange for a first-round pick which seems to have been the trade that got the ball rolling with the inevitable Utah rebuild.
Unless the Jazz don’t have to rebuild? They could trade away all of their new assets and land the league’s biggest superstar. Pairing Durant with Donovan Mitchell would immediately make the Jazz title favorites for the first time ever, but would it be worth it?
Fanspo is the best NBA trade machine online, and one of the best NBA sites as a whole. Recently, they tweeted out a blockbuster trade that would alter the league.
Jazz Get
Myles Turner
Kevin Durant
Pacers Get
Mike Conley
Jared Butler
2023 FRP (HOU, PHI, or BKN) via UTH
Nets Get
Bojan Bogdanovic, Walker Kessler, Malik Beasley
2027 OR 2028 FRP via UTH
2023, '25, '27, '29 FRP via MIN
2027 FRP via UTH, 2027, '27 SRP
The Jazz would get Myles Turner, one of the most promising young bigs in the league. They would also get Kevin Durant, who is perhaps the best player in the league and a top-15 player of all time. As payment, the Jazz would send Mike Conley, Jared Butler, Bojan Bogdanovic, Malik Beasley, and their entire cache of Minnesota picks, as well as the Royce O’Neale pick and either their 2027 or 2028 first-round pick.
The haul the Jazz would send out in the proposal is all things considered, rather small. The Jazz got Kessler, Beasley, and most of those picks in exchange for Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale. Is trading Gobert, O’Neale, Bogdanovic, Butler, Conley, and two picks worth Durant and Turner? Honestly, I’d say so, and I’m not exactly Durant’s biggest fan. Let’s look at this trade through a more simple lens.
Jazz Get
Myles Turner
Kevin Durant
Pacers Get
Mike Conley
Jared Butler
Royce O'Neale
Nets Get
Rudy Gobert
Bojan Bogdanovic
2027 or 2028 FRP
2025, 2026 SRP
Before the offseason kicked off, this is what the trade package would look like. Does that make it worth it?
