The Raptors believe they can make the best Durant offer. But does that mean they should?

Are you sure the Toronto Raptors want to do this?

It’s more likely that we’re trying to find it. In addition to ESPN’s Adrian Voinaroski reporting on Friday that the Raptors are “hidden” in the background of Kevin Durant’s trade debate, which recently held the NBA hostage, Toronto is “hidden.” Not only can they see what they’re feeling, they can put together the best packages of assets that Brooklyn Nets is likely to get.

Self-confidence is not the word for it, but optimism may be.

I’m reading tea leaves at this stage because the team can’t communicate directly with Durant, who maintains a contract with the net, but the natural powers of the two-time champion and the 11-time All-NBA can play at least in Toronto. Open to sex.

Of course, beauty is in the eyes of the viewer. Just because you are confident in the assets that the Raptors can offer does not mean that the net agrees. It is no exaggeration to say that it is recognized as the value of assets that influences this transaction. .. It’s unlikely that Brooklyn will favor Durant and make Cinchilla less than the next best offer. Not after Durant’s scorched earth operation in the franchise over the last three years.

This is Brooklyn’s best chance to recover something in the wake of Durant’s teaming up with Kyrie Irving and teaming up in the summer of 2019, which has been otherwise a blunder. Therefore, the team that wants to win this deal must do it completely.

That the Raptors haven’t told you one thing yet: Toronto continues to stick to keeping Scottie Barnes’ Rookie of the Year out of the packages they offer.

Can they stick to it and win the NBA’s second best active scorer?

As one person who knows the situation said, “it’s a matter of billions of dollars.”

But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

Is there a downside risk to winning one of the top five players in the world, and arguably the most deadly scorer basketball to date? Are you a 7-foot player with the ability to shoot and handle like a world-class two-guard and have proven ability to take over the game on a daily basis at the highest level of competition offered by the sport?

Surprisingly, that’s right. The Raptors do not trade with Burns or Pascal Siakam, but instead trade with OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr., and perhaps Toronto’s rights to the first round of the next seven drafts. Even if it could, it should give a suspension to Raptors Vice President Masai Ujiri and General Manager Bobby Webster. And what if it can only be done in Burns as part of the mix? Adding Durant at the expense of a player who could be the basis for 10 to 15 years is a kind of decision that can take years from life, or at least a career.

The reason for adding Durant is clear. But why not? It’s not a long list, but there are risks. for example:

1.1. Paying superstars $ 190 million in the 34-37 year old season has traditionally not been a recipe for success in the NBA. When this superstar missed the season in recent years due to the history of Achilles tendon surgery, another chunk with a knee injury, and other foot injuries, it shouldn’t be done lightly.

Even if Durant breaks, the Raptors still have to pay him, which can lead to a crippled franchise.

2.2. Superstar – even one of Durant’s wattage – does not guarantee the title. Durant apparently didn’t bring one to Brooklyn in a team raid with his fellow star, and in fact couldn’t get the net past the second round. With a healthy Durant and a healthy Kyrie Irving, the Nets were hit by the Boston Celtics in the first round of April.

Durant played against two other MVPs in Oklahoma City and played only one final. He won his title alongside three other Hall of Fame players in the Golden State. There are no comments on Durrants’ abilities. It takes as much luck as his talent, and sometimes more, to win the title.

3.3. As a proof of concept, the “super” team has a recent track record of unevenness. The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired LeBron James through a free agent for the 34-year-old season. This experience should give the Raptors something to chew.

The Lakers missed the playoffs in the first year of James’ playoffs and had to mortgage almost everything to exchange for Anthony Davis heading for the second year, and were awarded the championship in 2020. However, he lost in the first round of 2021. And this past season, he completely missed the playoffs with a roster featuring four future Hall of Fame players. Also, because we used a lot of asset base to build around James, there is no real way to add the kind of quality depth and role players that championship teams need.

Towards the fifth year of James’ experience, they seem to be stuck. The Lakers were the victims of a suspicious personnel decision to exchange the remaining depth with Russell Westbrook, but it was reportedly James who promoted and approved these deals. Should be pointed out.Superstars create a terrible general manager and Durant disgust at Nets – select coaches and teammates with rough results – Prove the point.

4.4. You can only do this once. Going all-in, or almost-in, to capture the year of Durrants’ twilight means saying goodbye to (probably) seven years of draft capital. Everything is in use today, and in the future it’s a distant issue that has somehow been improved to eliminate the inevitable hangover of championship rings. But if that all works.

If not? Your franchise is heading into a world of pain and you rarely have the opportunity to fix it for more than five years. So if Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokompo, who believed there was a chance if the Raptors hit a free agent in the off-season of 2020, decided that the landscape needed to change, the Raptors would be there. Leave. If some of the young Canadian stars scattered around the league (Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous Alexander) want to go home and do legendary things, the Raptors may not be able to do that. This will be a Raptors shot. The 2020s will depend on it.

• The hard-earned reputation of the Raptors for having a close organizational culture will probably be irreparable. It was part of the risk factor when the Raptors fired Dwane Casey and traded with DeMar DeRozan in the summer of 2018. – For families, organizations, and organizations that preached continuity, the left turn was fierce, and Ujiri did it and wept.

But that version of the Raptors had a long runway in an attempt to realize their collective potential, so it was defensive. A series of sweeps by the Cleveland Cavaliers topped Ujiri as it was composed and was convinced that changes were needed. He was right and Kawhi Leonard’s trade proved it by delivering championships and memories throughout his life. However, signing a contract with Durant while the Raptors team is still in its infancy makes it difficult for the Raptors to replay culture and continuity on the trumpet and receive it at face value.

It is neither bad nor good in itself. Participating in the NBA means, above all, participating in a winning business, but that’s a consideration. Building a reputation takes time, but it’s easy to shred.

• Finally, the timing of such transactions seems to be in a hurry. When the Raptors traded the All-NBA player (DeRozan), the picks in the second half of the first round of the draw picks (Jakob Poeltl) and Leonard (and Danny Green) Toronto were very deep, away from 59. It was a team-winning season and five consecutive playoffs. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet left the bench in 2017-18, and Norman Powell was 11 years old.^th Man.

In this example, the Raptors have been removed from the draft draw for a year and have been exposed as lacking the depth of quality that teams aiming for the championship must have, with an amazing 48-win season and the end of the first round. Will be greeted. .. Dealing with Durant could create one of the best players of this era or any era, but is the support cast close enough or deep enough?

But the reason for moving forward is clear. Adding a talented player from Durrants is a rare opportunity. Even if he’s at the end of the prime, he’s still an awe-inspiring player.

Over the past season, he averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists, shooting 51.8 percent from the floor, 3 to 38.3 percent from the floor and 91 percent from the line. He is an effective defender. If he manages to play more than 55 games, it’s very likely he’ll be an MVP for the regular season. There is little price a team can play to add such a player and make it too expensive.

However, there is no return policy and no guarantee when shopping in such a stratosphere.