NBA superstar Kevin Durant asks for trade from Nets, sends Raptors fans into frenzy

Kevin Durant may be taking his quest for more titles elsewhere.

Durant has requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the decision. The Nets have been working with Durant to find a trade partner, and he has multiple teams on his preferred list.

The Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns are among those teams, according to ESPN. The bombshell came just hours before the NBA’s free-agent period for this summer began.

News of Durant’s intentions sent Toronto Raptors fans into a frenzy online, as “KD to Toronto” quickly began trending on Twitter.

Breakfast Television’s Sid Seixeiro shared a video compilation of Durant praising the Raptors organization, its players and head coach Nick Nurse.

Here’s a completely random video of Kevin Durant saying amazing things about the Toronto Raptors… pic.twitter.com/cWTANIybHF

— Sid Seixeiro (@Sid_Seixeiro) June 30, 2022

Many Raptors fans expressed doubt that a trade would materialize as it would likely result in one or two members of the team’s current core of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, Scottie Barnes or OG Anunoby being included.

Durant has four years and nearly $200 million remaining on his contract, which means that it may take a haul of players, draft picks or possibly both for a team to acquire him. Siakam is Toronto’s highest-paid player, with a yearly salary of just over $35 million.

RELATED — Raptors sign Boucher, Young to new contracts: Report

One social media user tweeted, “KD to Toronto can happen, but do not give Scottie away for anyone.” 

Another person said, “KD to Toronto… if Masai [Ujiri] could get Khawi [Leonard]… he can get KD, but DO NOT trade Scottie [Barnes].”

https://twitter.com/lwo_98/status/1542647863582380032

ESPN analyst Zach Lowe also captured the fans’ attention after suggesting that Toronto should be one of a few teams that Brooklyn should call for Durant, implying that the Nets would ask for Barnes in a trade.

Canadian hip-hop superstar and Raptors global ambassador Drake was fined by the NBA in 2014 for tampering after the rapper encouraged concertgoers to show Durant what it would be like if he came to Toronto.

Durant is a 12-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time NBA champion — those rings coming with Golden State, the team he was with before joining Brooklyn.

Durant has played 14 seasons, not including one year when he sat out while recovering from a torn Achilles. He has averaged 27.2 points in his career — over that span, only LeBron James, at 27.3 points per game, has averaged more.

The Raptors were busy when free agency opened at 6 p.m. on Thursday, reportedly agreeing to new contracts with Canadian forward Chris Boucher and veteran Thaddeus Young.