Should the Cleveland Cavaliers go after Kevin Durant?

Conclusion: Don’t trade for Kevin Durant

Should the Cleveland Cavaliers trade for Kevin Durant? Hell no. I mean, hell to the no. There is no way in any way shape or form the Cavs should even consider this move. The team has no space to make free agent signings already, and that’s with a mostly full complement of players. You’re going to have to trade four or five players, not to mention almost as many draft picks, to get the deal done.

That means you’re not just trying to bring back Ricky Rubio, but trying to find four or five guys on the free agency market to come in and replace those guys you traded. Sure, you may get discounts on vets like Kemba Walker but it’s one thing to see him as the seventh or eighth guy off the bench but as your sixth or even fifth-best player?

Durant does make the Cavs better, in a vacuum. If we could trade Durant for a 2nd round pick, yes, do it every day. That’s not the situation here. The Cavs would have to gut their best, young, prospects to get this trade done and that’s just a non-starter.

Sure, you could talk me into throwing Sexton and Lauri Markkanen into a deal for Durant but that’s not enough to get the deal done. Durant just isn’t in the same area of his career as the Cavaliers are at the moment. So trying to get a deal done to get him would only hinder the Cavs long-term.

There’s no reason to believe this squad can’t be better without Durant as opposed to with him. Running this squad out there in 2022-2023 could probably get you the same record as a squad with Durant on it, minus whatever necessary pieces are given up.

Resist the temptation of the shiny new trade object, Cavaliers, and stand pat with your slow-build approach. It’s working. Don’t blow it up now.