Kevin Durant is a sure fire Hall of Famer, but he may want a chance to win a ring one last time and manage to make it to the 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be set and ready to go for the season. But what if the front office wasn’t satisfied and looked to make a blockbuster trade? There could be a possibility for the 76ers to acquire 12-time all-star and two-time NBA champion, Kevin Durant. The only downside is they would have to get rid of Joel Embiid.
Now this would be a three-team trade, but that’s not the important thing here. The main question is, how would this impact the 76ers and their championship aspirations? Truthfully, this would probably kill any hope of the team winning one, or even making it past the Eastern Conference Finals. This is when you have to say it’s too many ball dominant players on one team.
Durant is an offensive guru, but there’s just nowhere for him to fit on this team. You already have Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Offense isn’t the answer in this scenario. Now, the other side is the fact that you lose your defensive anchor in Embiid. So, who fills that void? This isn’t the Golden State Warriors of 2016 where they could shoot you out of the gym. Not only that, but there’s also the fact that Draymond Green provided that defensive intensity the team needed.
What player on the 76ers bench can fill that void left by Embiid? There’s no one with his skillset that would make this trade bearable. Philadelphia would be losing their big man that creates matchup nightmares down low. Now, Durant in his own right is a bad matchup for others, but that defensive liability is a big problem. If Durant is on the team that means less opportunities for someone else. People can begin the conversation that this move would stunt the development of VJ Edgecombe. He would certainly take a backseat if Durant were to join the team.
This team needs someone that compliments the team, not one who demands the ball. He has to be able to move freely and not expect to be the main one with the ball. That’s part of why this trade doesn’t make sense. As for the rest of the starters, they may be relegated to being stationary and that’s not a fit for any of those players. Losing Embiid would surely take away the hopes of winning anything, he’s just that valuable.
A trade is unnecessary and this team is fine just where they are before the season starts.
