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The big three of the Brooklyn Nets, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, are no more. In the middle of the 2021-2022 NBA season, Harden walked out of Brooklyn and fell into the lap of Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the Nets received three-time All-Star Ben Simmons in the deal, Simmons has yet to make his Brooklyn debut. Thus, Durant and Irving had to pick up the slack in the 2022 playoffs. Unfortunately, the superstar duo were unable to earn a single win in their first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
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After a first-round sweep, reports indicated that Durant had little to no contact with the Brooklyn front office. Meanwhile, Irving had a player option looming, and he was looking at sign-and-trade scenarios before deciding to take the option or not.
Ultimately, Irving made the choice to honor his commitment to Durant and the Nets. But the superstar power forward requested a trade just a couple of days later. Now the entire league is wondering what it would take to get their hands on the future Hall of Famer.
It’s not clear if the Sixers are interested, but Bleacher Report Grant Hughes recently put together a trade package that could be in play if the Sixers decide they want to enter the KD draft.
A look at the hypothetical deal
The Sixers send: Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, 2024, 2026, 2028 first-round pick trades
The Sixers receive: Kevin Durant
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“This deal would be a boon to the Sixers and it’s probably too good to be true. But what other offers the Nets will receive remains to be seen, and Maxey could ultimately be the most intriguing building block available.”
As the offseason approached, the Sixers planned to build the team around Joel Embiid, James Harden and young guard Tyrese Maxey. While Maxey was reportedly seen as a cornerstone of the franchise and almost untouchable, that kind of label doesn’t hold up when Kevin Durant is a possibility.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, their lack of draft assets would make it difficult to get their hands on the superstar forward.
Unsurprisingly, Brooklyn wants a historic comeback for Durant. Considering Friday’s blockbuster trade between the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves involved five players sent to Utah along with four first-round picks for a deal centered on All-Star Rudy Gobert, the bar has been raised for Brooklyn.
Landing Durant could immediately make the Sixers favorites in the East, but the chances of a deal centered around sending Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey to Brooklyn seem slim right now.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for the All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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