The Phoenix Suns drew a solid offer from the Toronto Raptors, but he isn’t on Kevin Durant‘s list of preferred destinations.
According to Brett Seigel of Clutchpoints, the Raptors’ offer was enticing, which involved two of their starters and draft picks. Yet the Suns are holding out for a better offer from one 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.
Raptors Offered High-Impact Players
Getty Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks dribbles against RJ Barrett of the Toronto Raptors.
With the Suns looking for a combination of high-impact players and draft capital, the Raptors’ offer is solid from that standpoint.
Barrett is coming off a strong second year with the Raptors since he was traded from the New York Knicks for OG Anunoby. 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’s a former No. 3 pick who was selected after Zion Williamson and Ja Morant in the 2019 NBA draft.
Barrett’s strongest skillset — barreling inside — could complement the perimeter shooting of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
On the other hand, Quickley is a combo guard and like, Booker, played for Kentucky. A three-guard lineup of Quickley, Booker and Beal could be a devastating trio on offense in today’s NBA.
Quickley, who was also part of the Anunoby deal, 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 29-year-old Poeltl could solve the Suns’ big hole in the middle. The rugged center averaged 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds last season, along with 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks. He’s a decent passer who can open up the perimeter for the Suns star backourt.
The Raptors have all their first-round draft picks, including this year’s No. 9 selection.
Kevin Durant Will Only Sign Extension With His Preferred Teams
With the Raptors out of Durant’s short list, he could be a one-year rental. But if there is one team built for this gamble, it’s them.
They won their first championship in the same scenario with Kawhi Leonard in 2019. Raptors president Masai Ujiri is willing to roll the dice again.
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 Suns are hoping they could trade Durant on or before June 25’s NBA draft so they could move on re-tooling their roster around Booker.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Suns Draw ‘Enticing’ Offer for Kevin Durant But There’s Caveat appeared first on Heavy Sports.