BREAKING: Kevin Durant rumor reveals where Nuggets stand in crowded trade sweepstakes
The Denver Nuggets may not have the assets to trade for Kevin Durant.
Phoenix Suns v Denver Nuggets | Dustin Bradford/GettyImages
The Denver Nuggets have grand ambitions and limited resources. It's the story of many teams that have reached the mountaintop as NBA champions, as the first and second aprons are proving exceedingly difficult to work around for teams that hope to keep the proverbial band together.
One player whom the Nuggets have been linked to as a means of making an instant improvement is Kevin Durant—a star who may be more difficult to acquire than some might hope.
The Nuggets reportedly "seriously looked at" trading for Durant in the past. As Denver searches for ways to win a second title during the Nikola Jokic era, it's fair to believe they could pursue the four-time scoring champion to reopen their window. Unfortunately, that process will be difficult to navigate.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, five teams have emerged as "featured" suitors for Kevin Durant, with unnamed dark-horse franchises making offers, as well.
"Teams that have expressed interest in Durant, sources said, mainly feature the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Several wild-card suitors have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven to 10 days, sources said."
Unfortunately, the Nuggets were not named among the five featured franchises that are pursuing Durant—and it's fair to question if they can make a competitive offer knowing who else is involved.
Stiff competition for Kevin Durant complicates Nuggets' dream trade
In an ideal world, Denver would build its trade offer around Michael Porter Jr. and its 2031 first-round draft pick. Unfortunately, outside of pick swaps, it can't offer much else beyond players on its roster due to the fact that it's already due to be without its first rounders in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
Knowing this, it's difficult to imagine the Nuggets coming up with a trade offer the Phoenix Suns would accept if they're given the option to consider proposals from the reported franchises.
The Houston Rockets can build an offer around their endless list of promising up-and-coming players and seven first-round draft picks between 2025 and 2031. The San Antonio Spurs are in a similar position with eight first-round draft choices between 2025 and 2031, including the No. 2 and No. 14 selections this year.
The Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New York Knicks, meanwhile, can combine proven players with draft compensation and young pieces—and perhaps even an All-Star apiece.
The question is: Would Denver be willing to part with one of its best players if Miami offered Tyler Herro. Minnesota went in with Jaden McDaniels, or New York parted with OG Anunoby? That could require it to not only give up Michael Porter Jr., but consider including Christian Braun—or perhaps even Aaron Gordon.
Those thoughts are speculative in nature, but the point stands that Denver is fighting an uphill battle against teams with superior depth as far as trade assets are concerned.
Charania's report certainly doesn't rule the Nuggets out of the Durant sweepstakes. They could bring in a third team to sweeten the pot, much as they could get creative in improving their assets before offering a trade to the Suns.
If Charania's report proved anything, however, it's that Denver will face an extraordinary number of obstacles if it chooses to resume its efforts to trade for Durant.