NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant Trade from Nets Before Deadline Would 'Surprise' Insiders

It remains to be seen if the Kyrie Irving trade is the precursor to Kevin Durant eventually forcing his way out of Brooklyn too, as he tried to do over the summer, or simply the end of their short-lived and ill-fated partnership on the court.

Either way, ESPN's Zach Lowe said on the Hoop Collective podcast Monday (7:30 mark) that he believes people around the NBA would be surprised if Durant was traded before the Feb. 9 deadline this season:

"I've been saying since the James Harden trade [last season] that it just feels like the inevitable end of this is that [Durant] asks for a trade a second time, having already done it for the first time. I just don't know how likely that is, or when it would happen. Around the league, I think there would be some surprise—even within the Nets—if it happened in the next four days. Because that's an avalanche of stuff happening in a very short amount of time that all of the league needs to prepare for if it becomes a thing."

Given that the Nets traded Irving for veteran players in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, among other assets, it seems clear that the Nets aren't looking to tear down and rebuild entirely. Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith are players who should complement Durant nicely.

So a Durant trade this season feels unlikely. But if the Nets did decide to completely shake things up, the interest around the league would surely be very high.

One team to watch would be the Phoenix Suns:

And ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believes the Boston Celtics could make a move for Kevin Durant in a deal that would involve Jaylen Brown:

That would be something of a shocker, given that the Celtics currently have an NBA-best 37-16 record and seemingly a very prolonged title window given that Brown is only 26 and Jayson Tatum is 24. Breaking up the best young wing duo in the NBA would come as a bit of a surprise, even for a player of Durant's immense talent.

It's all moot if Durant doesn't push for a trade and the Nets don't field calls. It feels more likely that a player like Ben Simmons—who has struggled immensely (7.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 6.4 APG) in his first season with the Nets—might be dangled to get Durant more veteran help in Brooklyn.

Simmons would probably best suited going to a young and rebuilding team, with less pressure, where he could rediscover his game and have a roster built around his unique skill sets and those of his younger teammates. In Brooklyn, with Durant and the front office's focus on building a championship-worthy roster, the expectations are high and Simmons hasn't been meeting them.

It certainly feels like plenty is left unresolved in the wake of the Irving trade. It wouldn't be a shock if the Nets were one of the busier teams ahead of the deadline, even if Durant ends up sticking around.