“‘James, turns out you were right buddy’” - NBA analyst says he’s not surprised by Kevin Durant looking at the 76ers as a good basketball fit, questions his desire to team up with former MVP
Kevin Durant would like to join the Philadelphia 76ers, according to the latest rumors. The 12-time All-Star apparently wants to reunite with his former teammate James Harden. It could make the Sixers one of the most dangerous teams in the NBA.
Durant and Harden played together for the Brooklyn Nets, but the combo guard decided he'd had enough and requested a trade.
Nick Wright recently appeared on "First Things First" where he shared his thoughts regarding the rumors. Here's what the NBA analyst said:
"Why would KD want to join James Harden when Harden aggressively quit on the Nets? Given Durant's current stance on the Nets franchise, he might say, 'You know what James, turns out you were right, buddy... You were a thought-leader on the future of this franchise.'"
Kevin Durant would definitely have a bigger chance of winning another ring in Philadelphia as they have a great roster. However, the Sixers may not have enough good pieces to trade for him.
Philadelphia 76ers would be incredible with Kevin Durant
The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the best teams this summer. After getting eliminated in the second round by the Miami Heat, the Sixers have decided to improve to ensure a deeper run in the playoffs next season.
Despite playing for just a few months in Philadelphia, James Harden decided to take a pay cut to help the team add some valuable pieces. The Sixers' biggest addition was P.J. Tucker.
"Why would KD want to join James Harden when Harden aggressively quit on the Nets? Given Durant's current stance on the Nets franchise he might say, 'You know James, turns out you were right, buddy. You were a thought-leader on the future of this franchise.'" — @getnickwright https://t.co/nvo8m2EOFh
The Sixers now have Joel Embiid, Harden, Tucker, Tobias Harris, and a few more great players who could make a big impact. On paper, they are already one of the best teams in the league.
If they can get Kevin Durant, the Sixers will definitely be favorites to win it all next season. However, considering how much the Brooklyn Nets want for their superstar, this trade is very unlikely to happen.
The Embiid-Harden-Durant trio sounds incredibly fun to watch, however, and they will most likely have a deep playoff run.
Durant hopes to avoid criticism by joining Philadelphia
Nick Wright pointed out how Kevin Durant probably thinks that he would avoid criticism by joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Back in 2016, the superstar received a lot of criticism and hate for joining the Golden State Warriors.
Before Kevin Durant, the Warriors finished with 73 wins and made the NBA Finals, which is exactly why Durant was the most hated player in the world at one point.
“Durant also sees Philadelphia as another desired landing spot”
“High-ranking members of the Sixers feel strongly about engaging w/ Brooklyn on a Durant trade”
“Embiid’s ‘made it clear’ to management he wants them to exhaust every option in trying to acquire Durant”
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However, the Sixers haven't had much success lately. Their last NBA Finals appearance was in 2001 and the team hasn't advanced further than the second round since Embiid was drafted.
The reality is that the two-time NBA champion will be criticized if he somehow joins the Sixers. After all, he'd be teaming up with one of the best guards in the league as well as an MVP runner-up.