The Cleveland Cavaliers may want to try to trade for Kevin Durant but should they?
Here comes the rush of people saying “YES, DUH” when asked if the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade for Kevin Durant. I know that’s the kneejerk reaction a lot of people are going to have about the idea of trading for Durant but this isn’t a simple question, nor are the answers really being discussed in any sort of depth.
It’s just “trade for Durant, dummy!”
Yet, there are a lot of reasons why Kevin Durant makes sense for the Cavalier and probably just as many as to why he doesn’t fit. This isn’t a one-year swing, where you can justify a few picks and a young asset like Isaac Okoro or someone else to make the move, this is a four-year deal with one of the best pure scorers in NBA history, who’s still at a near-prime level.
So looking at any potential trade has to be done with some sort of real, deep dive, and not just fans getting all excited about a name brand. Keep in mind that Durant has never won without the help of Steph Curry.
So any trade for Durant, historically, doesn’t guarantee you anything. This isn’t LeBron James who has a proven track record of being able to drag a team to the NBA Finals. So, let’s really get into if the Cavs should trade for Durant.
Why Kevin Durant makes sense for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are on the verge of becoming one of the best teams in the NBA and are in need of a scoring wing with some decent defense. Durant is that guy, though his offense is much better than his defense.
Still, if you’re able to swing a trade for Durant, he instantly becomes the go-to scorer and could give Darius Garland a much-needed running-mate, assuming Garland isn’t needed in the trade. Durant would instantly make the Cavs an NBA title contender assuming Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are retained in the trade as well.
Having those three men would make the Cavs probably the most dangerous and deadly crop of bigs the league has seen in a long time and would make getting to the paint a nightmare for just about anyone who tries.
His ability to create shots would also help the rest of the team get their looks, as the defenses will prioritize Durant over anyone else the Cavaliers have. So if a guy like Cedi Osman or Caris LeVert is still on the team, they’ll likely be getting a lot more looks, and considering that was a big factor in their 2021-2022 seasons (the lack of looks), that would be a huge boon for the players like them and everyone else.
Why Kevin Durant doesn’t make sense for the Cavaliers
Anyone who says trading for Kevin Durant is a no-brainer is truly not using theirs. Durant is a great player but that doesn’t mean the trade idea isn’t without its issues. Firstly, there’s his age. He’s turning 34 and has a four-year deal. Is Durant at $50 million at age 36 really an idea you want to get saddled to?
If he were 28, sure. He’s not, he’s about to turn 34 in two months. He’s also severely injury-prone. He’s played just 60+ games in a season six times, and three times he didn’t make it to 56 games. He’s just getting older and in the last two years, he’s only played 90 games. Durant at $50 million and only 40-ish games a year? Are you sure you want that?
That’s not at all, remember that the Brooklyn Nets didn’t give up much to get him. They traded DeAngelo Russell, Shabazz Napier, and forward Treveon Graham for Durant and a 2020 First Round Draft Pick. Yes, the Nets got back a first-round pick and used it on Saddiq Bey, before trading him to Detroit the next day.
So the Nets won that deal by a mile. The Cavs would have to get gutted to get Durant. We’re talking Kevin Love, Collin Sexton, probably Ochai Agbaji, maybe Lauri Markkanen, and who knows how many first-round picks.
Are you ok gutting your team for a 34-year-old with injury issues?
Not only that, but let’s look at the fact that you aren’t guaranteed anything with Durant. He has no loyalty. If he doesn’t like Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, or JB Bickerstaff, he could and will demand a trade. He’s already proven to be a guy who isn’t afraid to bail when things get hard. Are you ok getting him for a year or two assuming he may just bail if he doesn’t like the city?
Then there’s the issue that Durant isn’t in the age range of the Cavs roster. By trading for Durant, you accelerate the window of competition, and not every piece is ready to be accelerated. Guys like Garland and Mobley are being slow-roasted in the oven but getting Durant means we’re throwing them in the microwave.
They might turn out ok, but they might not. These guys are 12 and 14 years younger than Durant and have a window that is at least that long. Getting Durant shuts that window after four years, maybe even just two due to his age and injuries.
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.