The offseason has just begun and the NBA trade rumors heat up as the Oklahoma City Thunder will do all it can to keep Kevin Durant.
In a series of trades conjured by ESPN Insider and NBA draft expert Chad Ford, the Thunder will swing for the fences and try to give Durant the pieces that would ensure them a return trip to the Western Conference Finals and beyond.
In his trade scenario, the Thunder (assuming Durant will re-sign) will get involved in a three-team blockbuster trade with the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans that will bring them DeMarcus Cousins and Omer Asik.
The Kings will take Steven Adams and Cameron Payne from OKC and take back Tyreke Evans from the Pelicans.
New Orleans will get Enes Kanter from OKC and the no.8 pick from Sacramento.
For OKC, the biggest loss would probably be Steven Adams, who played a key role for them in the Western Finals. He and Kanter were part of an experimental lineup that coach Billy Donovan employed to counter the Warriors "death lineup."
They might even have an upgrade with DeMarcus Cousins, arguably the best center in the NBA now. Omer Asik has underperformed, but he could still deliver in limited minutes. Cousins would be considered a risk but in this case we could finally see just how he will respond to a winning culture like the Thunder.
The Kings will finally move on and build a team without their temperamental center. As illustrated by Sactown Royalty, the talented center has had a long history of conflict and perhaps it's just not worth it anymore. OKC has a solid culture and bigger stars like Durant and Westbrook. They will not just turn over the franchise to him like the Kings did-which many believe to be the reason for his actions.
They get good pieces like Payne, who they could develop into a starting point guard (which he will never be in OKC as long as Westbrook is there), Adams and Tyreke Evans, who returns as a more developed player.
The low risk here is with the Pelicans. Getting rid of Omer Asik is reason enough to celebrate. Kanter, Ford says, is an "offensive powerhouse but a liability on the defensive end. Pairing him with Davis in the front court should cover many of his weaknesses."
With the sixth and eighth pick, they could get a combo guard like Buddy Hield or a scoring wing like Jaylen Brown along with other prospects like Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray-who could all become great rotation players.