The NBA season just tipped off, but fans are already going wild in the trade machine, with Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant popping up in 2.8 percent of hypothetical deals. Despite the league just getting started, folks are clearly dreaming big about what it would take to land a former league MVP like KD.
Fans Are Testing the Limits With KD
There’s not much real-world chatter about a Kevin Durant trade right now, and honestly, we don’t expect any for a while. Unless the Rockets start their campaign *really* slow and things get totally wild by the deadline, Durant staying put seems like the play. So, it makes sense that most of these trade machine fantasies are just curious fans trying to see what kind of haul it would take to snag him. People want to know what it looks like on paper to get a superstar.
The most common landing spot for Durant in these imaginary trades is his old squad, the Oklahoma City Thunder, showing up in 10.7 percent of deals. New York is another favorite, at 7.8 percent, and Portland isn’t far behind with 7.0 percent. When it comes to who’s going back in these mega-deals, Jrue Holiday leads the pack at 4.9 percent, followed closely by OG Anunoby and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, both at 4.5 percent. Look, we can say pretty confidently that at least one of those trades will *never, ever* happen. It’s fun to dream though, right?
Michael Porter Jr.’s Trade Value Is Heating Up
While Durant’s inclusion feels like pure fantasy for now, things are a little different for Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., who also makes up 2.8 percent of trade machine activity. His chances of actually getting moved this season are quite a bit higher. The Nets are young and deep in a rebuild, while Porter Jr. is 28 years old and honestly, a perfect fit for a contender. His elite outside shooting and underrated rebounding were huge when he helped the Denver Nuggets win the 2022-23 championship, and that kind of talent is always in demand.
The wildest trade machine scenario sees Porter Jr. heading to the New Orleans Pelicans for former No. 1 pick Zion Williamson, a move that accounts for 11.0 percent of his hypothetical deals. You just know that’s Nets fans trying to manifest Williamson onto their roster. And hey, even if Zion’s NBA career has been disappointing so far, he’s still immensely talented. Maybe a change of scenery to Brooklyn is exactly what he needs to ignite that career. Beyond New Orleans, the Boston Celtics are a popular destination for Porter Jr. at 9.8 percent, and the Los Angeles Lakers are in the mix at 6.1 percent. And who would the Nets get back in these swaps? Paul George is plugged in for 5.7 percent of deals, and Jayson Tatum shows up in 4.9 percent.
The trade deadline might be a ways off, but the rumor mill, even the fake one, is already buzzing. Keep an eye on how these teams start the season; those early struggles could turn fan dreams into actual trade talks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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