What would be NFL equivalent of Kevin Durant trade to Suns?
Kevin Durant joined the Phoenix Suns in a sensational trade on February 9 that sent ripples across the NBA. Suddenly, the Suns have become a team that can challenge for the title, and there are expectations that they will pose a considerable threat to all other championship-vying teams.
Blockbuster trades are nothing new in American sports, but the NFL's Herschel Walker trade in 1989 (from Dallas Cowboys to Minnesota Vikings) remains perhaps the greatest in US sports history. The deal spawned a Dallas Cowboys dynasty from all the picks they got in that trade.
More recently, the success of the Los Angeles Rams in last year's Super Bowl was due to them trading for Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and others. However, due to salary caps and other considerations, the NFL is designed for parity. There is rarely a super team that can stock all the talent.
This got us wondering what the NFL's equivalent of the Kevin Durant-Phoenix Suns trade would be, a deal that could take a team one plane higher.
Derrick Henry joining forces with Patrick Mahomes: A Kevin Durant equivalent
If there has been one consistent team in the NFL in the past few seasons, it has been the Kansas City Chiefs. They have made it to five straight AFC Championship games. But the Chiefs have won only one Super Bowl, with a chance to win another this weekend.
Given their dominance, Kansas City should have won more. As with many things in the NFL, the reason why they did not was Tom Brady twice. Joe Burrow knocked them off course last year, but they exacted some revenge this year.
The Chiefs have the best quarterback in the league in Patrick Mahomes, who is now a multi-MVP winner, having bagged this year's award. Travis Kelce is a premium tight end. But if there is something lacking in the Chiefs' offense, it has to be in the running game. With just 1,970 yards, Kansas City ranked toward the bottom of the league.
Imagine the Chiefs deciding that their return over the past five seasons is not good enough and that they should have won more, especially if they went on to lose the upcoming Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.
If Kansas City then decides to trade for Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry, who is a behemoth of a running back, few teams would bet against them going all the way. They might have to mortgage their present, but that is what the Phoenix Suns did while acquiring Kevin Durant.
The #NBA made its presence felt during Super Bowl week with news late Wednesday of a monster Kevin Durant trade – Brooklyn sending the future Hall of Famer to the @Suns:
#NBATwitter #WeAreTheValley #NBATradeDeadline https://t.co/oQVKIEeQ8K
While a trade does not look likely at this point, the Kansas City Chiefs could become a team to be reckoned with if they have Derrick Henry as running back alongside Patrick Mahomes at QB. Such a deal could get the same response as Kevin Durant's trade to the Suns and give the Chiefs a roster that can take on any team in the NFL.