NBA Free agency has been put on ice due to the big domino that has yet to fall in Kevin Durant, but something or someone could help get the NBA Free Agency back into a frenzy. In the last 48 hour reports have started to surface that the Indiana Pacers could be interested in offering DeAndre Ayton a contract or working out a potential sign and trade with the Phoenix Suns.
If Phoenix ends up working out a sign and trade with the Pacers, or not matching a potential Pacers offer sheet, and DeAndre Ayton becomes an Indiana Pacer that takes the Phoenix Suns out of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes. Phoenix has been rumored to be one of Kevin Durant's preferred destinations. However, if Ayton isn’t going to be a part of the deal for Kevin Durant then there will be no deal for Kevin Durant for the Suns.
The Brooklyn Nets can’t trade for Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, another one of Kevin Durant’s preferred destinations because of the Designated Rookie Extension rule basically stating you cannot have two players acquired via a trade that were signed to that type of extension, and Brooklyn already has Ben Simmons, so with the Heat and potentially the Suns out of the running, does this open the door for the Atlanta Hawks? Jon Chuckery discussed it on his show Friday night.
Jon believes if the Indiana Pacers do in fact acquire DeAndre Ayton Kevin Durant will stay in Brooklyn in that scenario saying “I think it actually makes it where he’s more likely to stay in Brooklyn than anywhere else.”
Even though the Atlanta Hawks sent over a good amount of future first round picks to acquire All-Star guard Dejounte Murray from the San Antonio Spurs they still have three first round picks they could give the Brooklyn Nets, including the one they got from the Sacramento Kings in the Kevin Huerter trade, along with John Collins and De’Andre Hunter.
Is that offer enticing enough for the Brooklyn Nets to hand over Kevin Durant? Would Kevin Durant want to play for the Atlanta Hawks? Time will tell.