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Kevin Durant wants out of Brooklyn. That’s the news of the week in the NBA on Thursday, the day that free agency is supposed to begin.
The betting markets have moved into chaos as bettors speculate which team Durant might end up on.
At the time of writing, Kevin Durant has stated that he wants to be traded to the Phoenix Suns or Miami Heat, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Unfortunately for Durant, he does not have a no-trade clause and cannot force his way to any team. Furthermore, he just signed a new four-year contract so this trade should net (pun intended) one of the most lucrative returns in NBA history. Still, players have a lot of control, and a team is unlikely to give up the farm for a player that doesn’t want to be there.
Here is how the lines have moved. For reference, another sportsbook known as SuperBook has moved the Nets even further than FanDuel. An absolutely wild reversal of fortunes for the Brooklyn Nets.
Notable NBA Finals odds movement post-Durant trade request
Trade destinations for Kevin Durant based on Finals odds movement
There will surely be more movement to come on this as information comes in. The marginal Pelicans movement is interesting, as they have plenty of young talent to trade.
Furthermore, a trade that works in the NBA trade machine would feature Brandon Ingram, plenty of picks, and likely another player or two.
If the Suns were to acquire Durant, the Nets may be looking for Devin Booker in return. That is unlikely to work for Phoenix, so it is possible that Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges are the top assets to go to Brooklyn in a deal.
The Toronto Raptors saw some light odds movement, going from +5500 to +5000 in wake of the news. They have tons of tradeable talent, including Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and OG Anunoby.
Kevin Durant Getty ImagesLast but not least (for now), the Miami Heat would have to get the Kyle Lowry contract off the books, packaged along with young scorer Tyler Herro, and every draft pick they have to offer in the near future.
For now, the NBA world hangs by the balance as NBA free agency starts at 6 p.m. ET – and a top 20 all-time player becomes available.
