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With just one day left until the NBA trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets have reportedly given Kevin Durant a facelift and are now willing to trade the injured superstar.
Teams began inquiring about Durant’s status after the Nets agreed to send disgruntled point guard Kyrie Irving to Dallas, according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who listed Boston as one of the interested teams.
Now, Smith’s ESPN colleague Brian Windhorst is reporting the Nets are willing to move Durant, but they’re more likely to do so in the offseason, when teams will have more salary-cap flexibility.
“Now that Kyrie has been traded, maybe the Nets’ position of not trading Durant like it really was last summer can change,” Brian Windhorst said. “That’s an interesting development that has happened in the last 48 hours since the Kyrie exchange from people I’ve spoken to.”
Durant, who is out with a sprained knee, requested a trade from Brooklyn before the season. However, he rescinded that lawsuit after sitting down with owner Joseph Tsai, general manager Sean Marks and then-coach Steve Nash to work out their issues with the Nets. Nash has since been fired and the Nets responded by going 30-17 under his replacement, Jacque Vaughn.
Kevin Durant (black hoodie), who is out with a sprained knee, requested a trade from Brooklyn before the season. However, he rescinded that lawsuit after sitting down with owner Joseph Tsai, general manager Sean Marks and then-coach Steve Nash to work out their issues with the Nets. Nash has since been fired and the Nets responded by going 30-17 under his replacement, Jacque Vaughn.
The potential of a Durant trade doesn’t necessarily preclude the Nets from adding top-level talent before Thursday’s 3 p.m. EST deadline.
Windhorst also reported that the Nets have shown interest in pairing Durant with Toronto Raptors stars OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam. Other rumors have mentioned the Nets’ potential interest in Toronto guard Fred VanVleet.
“There are definitely trade discussions between the Raptors and the teams about their players,” Windhorst said on ESPN. ‘And definitely concepts that come and go. That is absolutely true. I have spoken with several teams that have told me about this.
‘At the same time, from what I understand, the Raptors are also saying, ‘Well, we haven’t decided whether we’re going to do this or not. Or we can wait until summer.” They are definitely covering up.
“The Nets had an absolute interest in doing business with the Raptors after this trade, whether it was OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam.
“The Raptors have had interest in some players from the Nets in the past, including Nic Claxton, who they almost traded last year at the deadline.”
Windhorst also reported that the Nets have shown interest in pairing Durant with Toronto Raptors stars OG Anunoby (left) or Pascal Siakam (right). Other rumors have mentioned the Nets’ potential interest in Toronto guard Fred VanVleet.
And the possibility remains that the Raptors could go after Durant, making him the centerpiece of a quick rebuild in Toronto.
“But if you’re Toronto, if Kevin Durant comes back on the market in the summer, Toronto has a very compelling potential offer for him,” Windhorst said. ‘And I wonder how much Durant, and I say I wonder because I don’t know, but I wonder how much Durant’s availability is affecting Toronto and how they’re doing business. And the way Toronto is doing business is dramatically affecting the deadline right now.’
As for other potential trades, the Denver Nuggets are rumored to be buying Bones Hyland, who was recently cut from coach Mike Malone’s rotation.
The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 12.1 points per game off the bench in Denver, shooting nearly 38 percent of his 3-point attempts.
According to the Mike Singer of the Denver Postthe Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Raptors have shown interest in Hyland.
According to Mike Singer of the Denver Post, the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Raptors have shown interest in the Nuggets’ Bones Hyland.
Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets controls the ball against the Toronto Raptors during the first half at the Toyota Center on February 3.
Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets are exploring deals involving veteran Eric Gordon and third-year forward Jae’Sean Tate.
Atlético reports that Gordon has drawn interest from the Phoenix Suns and his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. Plus, if he’s still in Houston after Thursday’s deadline, Gordon is expected to finish the season with the Rockets rather than accept a buyout and sign elsewhere.
In addition, The Athletic also reports that the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Suns and Nuggets have inquired about Tate, an athletic and versatile wing.
Tate is in the first year of a three-year, $20.6 million contract that contains a $7 million team option for the 2024-25 season.
The Athletic also reports that the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Suns and Nuggets have inquired about Jae’Sean Tate, an athletic and versatile forward.