“This team has made the conference finals one time since 'Dr. J' was on the team” - Nick Wright supports Kevin Durant to Philadelphia 76ers rumors
Brooklyn Nets' superstar Kevin Durant's future remains undecided as he doubled-down on his stance of wanting to leave the Nets after a recent meeting with owner Joe Tsai. The Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns were initially touted as Durant's preferred destinations but a deal couldn't be agreed upon with either of them by the Nets franchise.
On Fox Sports' morning show First Things First, NBA analyst Nick Wright spoke about how a move to the Philadelphia 76ers could very well be on the cards for Kevin.
Wright believes that Durant joining Joel Embiid and James Harden could lift them to a championship and he wouldn't receive the flak for such a move as the sixers have not made the Conference Finals since the 70s. Wright said:
"It does not surprise me that Durant would look at the Sixers and say, ‘Embiid’s pretty great. I know on the court [James] Harden and I work.’
Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would look at that from a basketball perspective and say, ‘Yeah, we could go win a title, and by the way, no one would be able to accuse me of joining a ready-made champion since this team has made the conference finals one time since Dr. J (Julius Erving) was on the team.’ I understand why it checks those boxes for him." [sic]
Over the recent weeks, the Boston Celtics were rumored to be in the driving seat in the sweepstakes for Kevin Durant. However, the Nets want either Jayson Tatum or Marcus Smart in addition to Jaylen Brown from the Celtics, according to the reports.
The likes of the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat have distanced themselves as they are unable to offer any All-Stars in return for Kevin Durant. Brooklyn has made it very clear that they want at least one All-Star if they are to trade the two-time scoring leader in Durant.
Nick Wright supports Philadelphia as a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant
“No one would be able to accuse [Kevin Durant] of joining a ready-made champion since this team has made the conference finals one time since Dr. J was on the team.”
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Can the Philadelphia 76ers make a deal for Kevin Durant?
The Philadelphia 76ers already possess a championship contending roster going into the 2022-23 season. With James Harden taking less money, the 76ers have managed to acquire the likes of De'Anthony Melton, PJ Tucker, and Danuel House, thereby bringing depth to the roster.
A trade for Kevin Durant will most likely mean the Philadelphia 76ers parting ways with two of their most talented youngsters, Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle. In order to make the salary match, the 76ers will also have to include Tobias Harris along with Maxey and Thybulle.
Despite the loss, Kevin Durant still scored enough to reach 25,000 career points Sunday.
LeBron James is the only active player that reached the feat faster than him.
Carmelo Anthony completes the trio as the only 3 active players with 25,000 points. https://t.co/gQgaqWDL96
While Tyrese Maxey is not an All-Star yet, he averaged 17.5 points on more than 48% shooting from the field and over 42% shooting from the perimeter last season. He developed into the 76ers' third-best player and holds the most value on their roster barring James Harden and Joel Embiid.
Matisse Thybulle is a lockdown defender and one of the best in the league, something the Brooklyn Nets desperately need as they were one of the worst defensive teams in the league last season.
Tyrese Maxey is averaging 22 points on 51/41/93% shooting this playoffs. https://t.co/VRpYfCmr2P
Tobias Harris, on the other hand, is a scoring option that will slot in and take Kevin Durant's spot on the roster. While his performances have been underwhelming over the last couple of seasons, the Nets will have him tied down for only two seasons if they decide to make the trade.