The Pelicans are unwilling to include Brandon Ingram in a trade offer for Nets star Kevin Durant, league sources tell Christian Clark of NOLA.com.
New Orleans has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Durant, who is pushing for a trade out of Brooklyn. Building an offer around Ingram would mean offering up a young forward with an All-Star nod on his résumé — the Pelicans would also be able to dip into their draft pick surplus from the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday blockbusters to give the Nets the kind of future assets they’re believed to be seeking.
However, according to Clark, the Pelicans want to see how Ingram and Zion Williamson play together in 2022/23, with Williamson on track to return from a foot injury that sidelined him for the entire ’21/22 season. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype previously reported in late July that the Pelicans had yet to put Ingram on the table in trade talks for Durant.
While it’s possible New Orleans will make some minor roster changes before opening night, Clark says not to expect any “earth-shattering” moves, adding that it’s unlikely the club will get seriously involved in the Durant sweepstakes.
In his latest look at the Durant situation, Sam Amick of The Athletic writes that executives around the league view the Celtics as the “unofficial” frontrunners to land the 33-year-old due to their reported willingness to include Jaylen Brown in their offer. However, league sources tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe the C’s aren’t close to making a deal for Durant and haven’t even really engaged in any “discussions of substance” with the Nets.
Brooklyn could accelerate the process by lowering the asking price for the former MVP, but there’s no indication that will happen anytime soon, if at all.
“(Nets general manager Sean) Marks is still asking for the world; that won’t change,” one front executive told Amick late last week.
Pelicans are too far away for a KD trade. Unlike the Celtics, Heat or Dallas who just need that one piece to win.
Zion + KD = 2 enormous “pieces”
How about KD + Kyrie + Harden + Blake Griffin + Aldridge ??
Zion is enormous
Jaylen plus a few 1sts would be great but Donovan Mitchell, John Collins, Okongwu & Bogi for KD & Ben would be better. Especially for a team full that is built to win now…
Atl gets Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay
Brooklyn gets Donovan Mitchell, John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu & Bogdan Bogdanovic
Utah gets Ben Simmons, Cam Thomas, Jalen Johnson, Atl’s 2024 1st & BK’s 2029 1st…
Hawks go all in. Replacing young guys JC, Onyeka, Jalen Johnson & Bogi with seasoned vets like KD, Dwight, Rudy Gay & Lou Will in an attempt to finally win an East/NBA title. Starting lineup of Trae/DJ/Dre/KD/Clint would arguably be the best starting 5 in the league… Brooklyn would get to replace a couple of less than dependable guys (KD/Ben) with a pair of guys that you can depend on to show up every night if at all possible, who also happen to be close friends (Spida/JC). They add a couple other big time players in Bogi & Onyeka too. Onyeka could be their starting 5 for the next 10+yrs. He & Claxton would be an extremely active/athletic duo. Adding Bogi just gives them even more firepower… Utah gets 2 very intriguing/talented young guys from last yrs draft class, plus 2 future unprotected 1sts plus they can replace the perennial DPOY they just traded to Minnesota with a guy in Ben that could take that mantle & win a few DPOYs of his own
normally these big trade ideas are stupid but this one is actually really good. props to u for the idea bro
I agree, its a really balanced trade. Not sure if that’s the kind of return that Utah is seeking, but i like more this offer that those Knicks trade ideas that were rumored. The key is Ben Simmons not playing for so long and having mental and physical problems, but if he can be what he was in Philly, this trade looks really balanced for the three teams.
Ben Simmons/Pat Beverley/Malik Beasley/Bojan Bogdanovic/Jarred Vanderbilt would make for an interesting lineup for sure. They could start Azubuike over Beasley if they wanna go more conventional. I’d pursue Montrezl Harrell either way. I’d also look to trade Jordan Clarkson (moreso than Conley) & give his 6th man/microwave role to Cam Thomas. I don’t think they need to tank at all tho, at least not to start the season. They’re not a title contender & they don’t have a big time scorer but Bojan, Ben, Trez & Beasley can all be 20ppg guys if given opportunity. Plus Cam Thomas is a born scorer & could blossom in a situation like Utah. If they’re not looking good a few months in they can trade away vets like Conley/Beverley/Bojan, sit Ben & tank the rest of the way by going with the young guys
Lol, so PG Simmons would be their starting center?
Beverley 6’1″
Beasley 6’4″
Bojan 6’7″
Jarred 6’9″
Also, Cam can’t shoot threes, 27% isn’t going to heat much.
This actually might make the most sense of any Durant proposal yet. Only thing missing is a few extra picks to satiate Utah, IMO.
Nobody wants Simmons and that albatross contract. Simmons is a net negative right now like Westbrick. No fricken way Danny Ainge takes on Simmons
They should try to move Zion for him before he misses Another season
That’s smart things are going to get ugly and in the end Brooklyn won’t get what they hope so their better off sticking to their guns and making Durant play for them or retire which he won’t do
punish him send him to sac
BI is 10 years younger than KD so he is much more valuable in the long term and if you don’t think adding KD gets you to the NBA Championship then don’t do it.
BI played his 1st playoff series and he was awesome, 27,6,6 with good efficiency and playmaking.
Big facts. He was electric & did most of that vs the best wing defender in the league. Ppl def shouldn’t forget that when KD was BI’s age he was already a 3x scoring champion & had already led his young team to a West Conf title as well as numerous other postseason series Ws. BI is great. KD is arguably a top3 scorer in the history of the game along with Wilt & MJ. Only bringing this up bc it def seems like a lot of ppl (not necessarily you) have forgotten how great this guy is at basketball. Which is pretty crazy
No doubt KD is a first ballot HOF but he is missing the leadership skill set.
I’m sure you saw the part where I said he led his team to a West title. I think he was like 22. He was his college teams leader as a freshman. He led US to gold in Turkey in 2010 as a kid. He led em to Olympic gold in Rio.
Durant is also going to be 34 and is a headcase. Celtics are fools if they deal Brown for Durant. It would be a trade that would hunt the Celtics within the next 3-5 years.
Now that Kevin Durant opened his mouth, or was wrongly quoted, he’s lost huge value. Now whoever gets him knows he’s already poisoned his relationship w one coach & management. No coach is going to want him. So maybe Durant goes for some pretty good star, say Donovan Mitchell, straight up. No draft choices. You got a spoiled guy who wants to be the boss & who hangs w bad influence Kyrie Irving.
The best wing defender in the league plays for the Suns?
No.
What’s actually crazy is how many people there are that overrate KD, based on scoring. He’s won 0 titles as the leader of a team.
Lol no way NO trades for KD when he’s just gonna ask for another trade right after that.
It’s gonna end up a slew of draft picks and a bag of balls. KDrama isn’t as sought after as he thought he was.
Brad Stevens should be fired for even offering up Brown for Durant. Why deal a young upcoming star for a 33-year-old with a history of injuries and who is clearly a headcase? Red would not make such a deal. If you look at Celtics history, most of their titles were won by drafting or trading for youth not giving away youth.
You have zero idea if Brown has been offered for Durant.
I’m not sure Stevens has. The only people beating that drum are Shams and the people at the Athletic. The rest of the media has said the opposite
Plus you have no idea if Brown will be a Celtic in 2 years .
Yeah, let’s deal Brown for Durant, a soon to b3 34 year old. How is that working with the Lakers with two players past their prime and no bench?
horribly which is why I hope they don’t do it
AD still has to burn, can’t blame NO steering clear here even if they have the goods to get it done
Almost every Celtic fan does not want a Brown for Durant trade to go down.
Ingram is holding it up ???? Why
KD, a fit Zion, CJ, Valanciunas are a Finals team. Contender.
Because Griffin doesn’t like having to deal with divas, and likes how the Pels are progressing..
BRK gave nothing for KD and now they are sooo entitled that they think they can ask the world for him, SMH!
#FreeKD
One sentence from this piece sticks out: “the Pelicans want to see how Ingram and Zion Williamson play together in 2022/23.”
This is why it seems very unlikely anything gets done before Autumn. There are no catalysts in mid-August to make a franchise up their offer for Durant.
If New Orleans is, like, 10-15 come late November, then all of the sudden, who knows, maybe Zion is on the table. And the same could be said for a few other potential suitors.
Ingram is a nice player. Still has upside. But will never be close to what KD is now.
Another team exposing the fact that league executives don’t agree that KD is worth trading significant assets for.
It certainly looks like the Nets are going to have to wait and see if that changes before the trade deadline.
I don’t know why Portland doesn’t go all in. I understand they are rebuilding and are waiting for Dame to ask for a trade. Unless he is busted, I would trade A Simons 23m, J Nurkic 16m, S Sharpe 6m and picks for K Durant 46m, D Sharpe. Then trade D Sharpe 2m and D Louzada 2m and some of the exception for the well traveled N Noel. Then convert B Williams to a standard contract, then ask L Aldridge to come back. The lineup will be able to switch positions. PG. D Lillard,G Payton,B Williams. SG. J Hart,N Little,K Johnson. SF. J Grant,J Winslow,T Watford. PF. K Durant,G Brown lll,J Walker. C. N Noel,L Aldridge,D Eubanks. Durant and grant switching depending on the matchup. Then sign my two ways to a young C and a young SF