Raptors in the mix on potential Durant trade; to what degree remains to be seen

While a thrilling NBA Finals is still ongoing, another storyline has begun to capture the attention of the league's fans.

Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant wants out, and where he plays next season can significantly alter the landscape of the Association.

Reports indicate that Durant has chosen three spots he would prefer to play in 2025 - Miami, San Antonio or Houston.

That won't stop other teams from making a pitch to the Suns to acquire the services of the 15-time All-Star.

TSN Raptors Insider Josh Lewenberg has confirmed that the Toronto Raptors are one such team, and he joined First Up on TSN1050 on Tuesday to discuss how realistic a scenario where Durant plays in a Raptors uniform is, what their other options are for the off-season and what the team may look like in October.

"I can confirm they're in the mix - to what degree, I'm not entirely sure," Lewenberg said. "They've been interested in Durant before, we know that, and it really does feel like they're in the mix whenever a star player becomes available, but it always comes down to price."

The Raptors were among teams in contact with the Brooklyn Nets in 2023 discussing a potential Durant trade while he played there. Brooklyn ended up shipping Durant out to the Suns at the trade deadline in exchange for Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, four unprotected first-round draft picks and a pick swap.

"It's always contingent on the price, and that was the case in those conversations with Brooklyn a couple of summers ago when KD's name last came up. The Nets asked for Scottie Barnes, the Raptors shut it down right there and that was basically it."

Lewenberg echoed the takeaway from those negotiations this time too - he said that Barnes, a Rookie of the Year and All-Star in his first four seasons with the Raptors, is going to be off the table in any potential deal.

But there are ways the Raptors can effectively package a deal to acquire Durant, with a particular trade in the team's history always looming large in these discussions.

The legacy of the Kawhi Leonard deal

The Raptors and team president Masai Ujiri completed the most impactful deal of the franchise's history in the summer of 2018, sending franchise cornerstone DeMar DeRozan, young centre Jakob Poeltl and a first-round pick to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for disgruntled and pending-free-agent superstar Kawhi Leonard.

Leonard played 60 games for the Raptors that season, then started 24 of 25 games in the postseason and picked up Finals MVP for his efforts in leading the Raptors to their first and only NBA title.

"I think a lot of people have rightly pointed out that the Raptors are a team that have gambled on something like this before, they're sort of the example that a lot of people give when it comes to taking a risk like this [in acquiring a veteran pending free agent], but just as important is the price that they paid to go and get Leonard in 2018," Lewenberg said. 

"DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, a first-round pick. I think they felt at the time that the risk was baked into the price, which justified the risk for them."

What would a potential deal for Durant look like though, now? How would it compare to the Leonard deal that worked out so well for the team six years ago?

Constructing a potential Durant deal

There are similarities to the Leonard situation - two players capable of guiding teams to an NBA title, two veterans on the final year of their deals - but Durant is entering his age-37 season, while Leonard was entering his age-27 campaign.

"I think [the Raptors] would be willing to do this if something similar [to the Leonard deal] came along," Lewenberg said. 

"What would the offer look like - probably something similar where it's like a veteran player, probably RJ Barrett, a young player like Ja'Kobe Walter, theoretically, and the ninth overall pick this year, because they're probably not going too far into the future to start owing first-round picks."

The value for Durant is clouded somewhat by some trades that have been completed in the last six months. The Los Angeles Lakers acquired a perennial MVP candidate in Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for star centre Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in February, while the Orlando Magic sent four first-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies to acquire Desmond Bane earlier in June - Bane, a player who has never earned an All-Star nod, or been named to an All-NBA team.

"Barrett, Walter, the ninth pick, then whatever it will take to make the math work, will that be enough to get something done?" Lewenberg said. "I don't think it would be the worst offer that the Suns get, but would it be enough? Probably not, unless the market for KD is really cool - and it might be, because clearly, with some of these leaks that we've seen the last few days, Phoenix is trying to drive up the offers from probably Houston and San Antonio."

There are many factors at play with this deal, but the NBA has become famous for unpredictable trades in recent years.

Other potential targets for the Raptors to chase this offseason

The Raptors have reportedly been loosely involved in trade talks with some other teams regarding star players, but Lewenberg isn't convinced a deal is imminent.

"Of the big names from the Sacramento Kings, who are sort of buried in the lower-middle of the powerful Western Conference, Domantas Sabonis is the most interesting name from there and I've heard his name tied to the Raptors but nothing too serious," Lewenberg said.

"I don't know, I don't see a player out there that I look at and I say that it's a tremendous fit for what the Raptors currently have. But at the end of the day, Masai has made it pretty clear that they would like to do something big to try to turn around quickly and then of course you have to mention Masai's contract situation going into the final year of his deal and it does seem like he's itching to make a move."

The Raptors haven't traditionally been a team to package multiple picks in a big deal, which may be required in hopes of acquiring a player like Sabonis, who is a three-time All-Star and entering his age-29 season.

But one important factor that could also cause Ujiri to make an aggressive deal, on top of his expiring contract, is the expected competition level in the Eastern Conference next season.

With the Boston Celtics missing Jayson Tatum next season, the Milwaukee Bucks to be without Damian Lillard and question marks with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto may have an opportunity to make a run to the playoffs.

"I don't see a [Desmond Bane] deal happening for the Raptors, I don't see them mortgaging their future and trading a bunch of picks," Lewenberg said. "But if they sense an opportunity to maybe buy low on somebody, like they did with [Brandon] Ingram, like they did with Leonard, like they're trying to do - I would think - with KD, I could certainly see something like that happening because I do believe that they're one move away from really being a major player in a weak Eastern Conference."