The prospect of the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant is something that makes a great deal of sense to one media personality.
Nick Wright spoke about rumors of a Durant trade to the Sixers and offered his take on the matter.
“It does not surprise me that Durant would look at the Sixers and say, ‘[Joel] Embiid’s pretty great. I know on the court [James] Harden and I work,’” Wright said. “Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me at all that he would look at that from a basketball perspective and say, ‘Yeah, we could go win a title, and by the way, no one would be able to accuse me of joining a ready-made champion since this team has made the conference finals one time since Dr. J (Julius Erving) was on the team.’ I understand why it checks those boxes for him.”
Earlier this summer, Durant asked to be traded from the Nets, though the Nets’ asking price has been steep in trade talks. There’s no guarantee that any team will end up meeting that price, which could cause headaches for the Nets.
Harden’s bumpy exit from the Nets earlier this year reportedly came amid some problems with his relationship with Durant. However, recent developments have indicated that the two players have patched up their differences, which presumably eliminates concerns about their ability to play together again.
Wright’s reference to Durant’s image as a player joining a championship-caliber team stems from the veteran’s time with the Golden State Warriors.
After the Warriors defeated Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Durant signed with the Warriors in free agency.
During the next two seasons, the Warriors captured NBA titles. After a successful stint with Golden State, Durant left to join the Nets.
Struggles for the 76ers to simply reach the Eastern Conference Finals help explain why the team’s front office is interested in adding Durant. Actually putting him in a 76ers uniform is an effort that will presumably continue behind the scenes.
