Kevin Durant‘s trade request has been the story of the summer so far, with several teams expected to seriously pursue the two-time NBA champion. Among the teams Durant is interested in are the Philadelphia 76ers, who have the winning infrastructure necessary to give Durant a real shot at his third title.
While the specifics of a hypothetical Durant trade are complicated, the Sixers are definitely interested. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Philadelphia “expressed recent interest” in the 34-year-old.
The article goes on to proclaim Boston, Miami, and Toronto as the most likely destinations, while also noting several other contenders who have inquired about the star’s availability — Atlanta, Phoenix, Memphis, New Orleans, Denver. There will be no shortage of competition for Durant’s services when trade talks start to heat up, but the Sixers’ lingering interest is notable.
Could the Sixers really trade for Kevin Durant?
When push comes to shove, the Sixers probably can’t put together a package enticing enough to land Durant. Tyrese Maxey is a brilliant young talent with a ceiling in the stars, but Philadelphia doesn’t have the draft capital or supporting talent necessary to beat Boston or Toronto, for example, if those teams are genuinely interested in Durant.
Tobias Harris would have to be included as salary filler and his contract doesn’t exactly equate to a high trade value. Matisse Thybulle, Paul Reed, and Jaden Springer are interesting young players, but they’re not exactly needle-movers in a trade negotiation for one of the best players in NBA history.
Durant’s age and recent injury history is concerning, but he’s still playing at prime level. When healthy, precious few players can claim to be on Durant’s level. He would instantly move the Sixers into poll position in the Eastern Conference, forming arguably the best trio in recent NBA history next to Joel Embiid and James Harden. Alas, consider me skeptical of Philadelphia having the assets necessary to swing such a trade.