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NBA Trade Rumors: 5 teams who can rescue Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets

By Ian Levy

Dec 21, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 21, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga (00) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 16, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 16, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Golden State Warriors

Durant’s basketball journey is such that there isn’t really a neat LeBron-like narrative arc to cling to. He isn’t going to play for his hometown Wizards and seeing him go back to the Oklahoma City Thunder feels equally far-fetched. But it doesn’t have to be neat and tidy to make sense — the Warriors need to keep their championship window open and Durant is an obvious way to do it.

It was a bit ugly when Durant left for the first time but any bridges burnt seem to have been mostly rebuilt. The Warriors could make it happen with the requisite first-round picks and some combination of James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Andrew Wiggins or Draymond Green would have to go back to Brooklyn for salary-matching purposes but ending Green’s Warriors’ tenure might actually make this more attractive to Durant and something he’d jockey for.

The present Warriors with Durant wouldn’t be as good as their first go around, but they should be plenty good enough for a robust title defense.

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