Mock trade has Sixers moving Tyrese Maxey to Nets for Kevin Durant
At this point, everybody knows about the interest that Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has in joining the Philadelphia 76ers. The future Hall of Famer requested a trade from the Nets on June 30, and the Nets have not yet found the right trade package. However, Durant has the Sixers on his list.
On the flip side, a trade of Durant to Philadelphia is very unlikely due to the fact the Sixers do not have the draft capital. They cannot trade a first-round pick until 2029 and the Nets want a lot of draft compensation for one of the best players in the history of the game.
Nevertheless, it’s fun to look at some mock trades, and one from Bleacher Report has Maxey heading to Brooklyn in the deal:
The fake trade proposal
Nets get: Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle and two future first-round picks
Sixers get: Kevin Durant
B/R on why the Sixers do this deal
Durant teaming with James Harden for a third time would be something, considering how poorly things ended in Brooklyn, but Frank Isola reported that Durant “would like” to reunite with his former running mate. Having Durant, Harden and Joel Embiid on the same roster feels like a cheat code. Putting them in the same closing group as P.J. Tucker and insert-fifth-Sixer here (De’Anthony Melton? Danuel House Jr?) could be the key to unlocking this team’s championship potential.
Analyzing the deal from a Sixers standpoint
This deal would vault the Sixers to the front of the race in the Eastern Conference. A Big 3 of Durant, James Harden and Joel Embiid would make them almost unstoppable on the floor. Combine them with guys such as PJ Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, Georges Niang, and the Sixers would be the most talented team in the East, maybe even the league.
The issue is still the draft compensation. Would the Nets really move Durant to a division rival who cannot move a first-round pick until 2029? They would not see the return on draft compensation for another seven years. Maxey, Harris, and Thybulle would be solid fits around Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons, though.
More Sixers news and notes
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