The Toronto Raptors are rolling the dice once again for a one-year rental of a superstar. But it remains to be seen if they can win the high-stakes sweepstakes.
The Raptors have put forward a solid offer for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, according to Brett Seigel of Clutchpoints. But the Suns are holding out for a better offer from one of Durant’s preferred teams.
“Even though the Raptors’ offer of either RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley alongside potentially Jakob Poeltl and draft picks is enticing, it is the [Miami] Heat that league personnel are signaling as the team with a better chance at a deal,” Siegel wrote.
NBA insider Jake Fischer reported for “The Stein Line” that the Raptors have put the former New York Knicks duo on the trade block “for a significant roster upgrade.”
Raptors Put 2 Starters on Trade Block
Barrett and Quickley headlined the return package for
OG Anunoby
in December 2023. Quickley quickly signed a five-year, $175 million extension as he succeeded Fred VanVleet’s role as the team’s starting point guard.
Barrett is coming off a strong second year with the Raptors. The Canadian wing averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field and 35% from the 3-point line. He will be due for an extension after next season.
Barrett is a former No. 3 pick who was selected after
Zion Williamson
and
Ja Morant
in the 2019 NBA draft.
Quickley averaged 17.1 points and 5.8 assists last season for the Raptors. He’s a 37.5% 3-point shooter in his NBA career. The Suns have been looking for a point guard and center. He and Poeltl fit the bill.
The 7-foot Poeltl drew interest at the trade deadline from several teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers but the Raptors have held onto him. They are only willing to give him up if it brings back Durant.
“Several league figures with knowledge of the Raptors’ thinking have likewise asserted that they could show a willingness to move center Jakob Poeltl as well … provided that the trade in question brought back Durant,” Fischer wrote.
Raptors Not on Kevin Durant’s List
With the Raptors out of Durant’s short list, Durant would be a one-year rental. But the Raptors are no stranger to this gamble.
In 2019, they won their first championship with a one-year rental of
Kawhi Leonard
.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania
, one of the Miami Heat,
San Antonio Spurs
and
Houston Rockets
is where Durant wants to play next and commit to a long-term extension.
Durant has one year and $54.7 million left in his current four-year, $190 million contract. He can sign a two-year, $112 million extension wherever he lands next. If he waits six months after the trade, he could fetch more — $124 million over two years, according to Charania.
But since this was leak, the Heat, Spurs and the Rockets have seized the leverage and are not in a hurry to pay up Suns’ high asking price.
“The Suns know, if they are going to trade Durant, they clearly have a price threshold they want met. I had one team tell me today it’s kinda a game of chicken at this point,”
Charania said
during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on June 19.
The Raptors can sneak in and steal Durant if the Suns find no better offer from the other teams.
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Raptors Offered 2 Starters in Kevin Durant Trade Talks: Report
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