Since the Brooklyn Nets continue to flirt with total implosion, the best betting sites for the NBA have started planning for the most nuclear scenario: a Kevin Durant trade.
The sentiment isn’t as ludicrous as it might sound. Kyrie Irving’s future with the team remains up in the air. He picked up his player option for next season, but it’s known throughout the league that he’s unhappy, and there’s still a chance he could be traded himself.
And if that happens, the expectation is Durant will try following him out the door, albeit not to the same team. Yes, KD has four years left on his contract. But he came to Brooklyn for the sole purpose of playing with Kyrie. If the latter leaves, Kevin Durant will try to, as well.
Which brings us to these odds on where Kevin Durant will play next season if he’s traded from the Nets:
| Kevin Durant's Next Team |  |
|---|---|
| Miami Heat | +250 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +400 |
| Atlanta Hawks | +450 |
| Phoenix Suns | +500 |
| LA Clippers | +550 |
| New York Knicks | +600 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | +750 |
Please note the nature of these Kevin Durant betting futures. You must correctly pick which team he is traded to for your wager to pay out. However, if he ends up staying in Brooklyn through opening night, your wager should be refunded since you’re actually able to bet on the Nets.
Of course, this also means you have plenty of time to decide on a Kevin Durant team. The 2022-23 NBA season doesn’t start until October, and our Kevin Durant betting odds are accurate as of June 30. This isn’t to say you should wait too long. Durant could be traded at any moment.
Speaking of which, that also means you should find a home for all your NBA betting now. And we can help. From our list of the best online sportsbooks overall to our reviews on the best mobile betting sites and apps, we’re confident you can find a trustworthy home to invest in NBA odds.
Reasonable minds can disagree, but the Miami Heat are a more-than-worthy favorite to land Durant.
First of all, we have to keep in mind that Durant will have some control over where he goes. He may have four years left on his contract, but no team will trade for him if he doesn’t want to be there. That’s how this works with superstars.
And if the Nets do, as expected, ask Durant for a list of places he’d like to go, you better believe the Heat will be on it. Miami has a championship ready core.
Whether they can offer the Nets enough for Kevin Durant is a separate matter. Tyler Herro, Nikola Jovic and three first-round picks is a good start, but the Heat need more salary filler to make the math work, and Brooklyn is unlikely to have interest in the aging Kyle Lowry’s contract.
Still, Miami looms as a real threat.
Most people won’t throw the Memphis Grizzlies into this discussion. That’s a mistake.
The Grizzlies just finished with the Western Conference’s second best record. They are good enough to make a splash now.
What’s more, they also have the draft equity and interesting young players necessary to field a competitive offer for Durant that doesn’t cost them Jaren Jackson Jr. or Ja Morant. Building something around Desmond Bane, Ziaire Williams, some of this year’s rookies, salary filler and future picks is a great launching point.
However, Durant has to approve the Grizzlies as a trade destination. It isn’t quite clear if he’s enamored with Memphis when markets like New York, Miami and Los Angeles are on the board. At a 4-to-1 payout, though, the Grizzlies are laying good value.
There isn’t much downside to investing in the Portland Trail Blazers when they pay out 7.5-to-1.
Yes, Kevin Durant has to want the Blazers. Who’s to say he doesn’t? Damian Lillard is among the league’s most beloved superstars, and the Blazers have two really good perimeter defenders to surround KD and Dame with in Jerami Grant and Josh Hart.
Portland could have trouble cobbling together a trade package, though. The No. 7 pick in this year’s draft, Shaedon Sharpe, is a good place to start. But the Blazers are limited in assets after him, which is why they’re so low on this list.
This might catch some by surprise, but we’re going with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns check all of the necessary boxes more than anyone else. Durant will want to play for them, since he’s known to like Chris Paul and Devin Booker. The Phoenix market is also sneakily beloved by NBA players, given its proximity to Los Angeles.
This team has the assets necessary to help the Nets begin their rebuild without Durant, as well. The Suns can offer some combination of Deandre Ayton (sign-and-trade), Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and multiple future first-round picks.
Indeed, there is no winning the trade if you’re the team forced to move Durant. But the Suns have the assets to soften the blow for Brooklyn.
Take a look at this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your NBA betting:
About the Author
Around the age of 12, Dan realized, sadly, he’d never become a professional basketball player. It turns out people under 6’0” who can’t dribble or shoot aren’t touted prospects. Who knew?! Anyway, once it became clear he could play professional sports, he figured the next best thing to do was cover them. So, that’s what he did. And continues to do. Dan has worked in the pro sports analysis industry since 2011, giving him almost 15 years total experience. Though started out covering and continues to be enamored by the NBA, he has spent the past decade or so expanding his expertise and analysis to the NFL, NHL, MLB, tennis, esports and golf. Over the past few years, Dan has cannonballed into full-on sports betting news coverage. He remains fascinated by the impact the legalization of gambling in the United States is having on the country. It has, in so many ways, changed everything about how we consume sports. Is that good? Bad? Does it all even out in the end? His coverage has always and will continue trying to reconcile the duality of this industry, pro sports at large and their influence. In his spare time, Dan enjoys honing his weightlifting, eating enough sweet potatoes to feed a rather large family, binge-watching his all-time favorite shows (Psych is the goat!) and hanging out with his three dogs, all of whom are Cockaliers, Thor, Wade and Cosmo. Typically, though, if he’s not eating or sleeping, Dan is watching or covering sports—and loving basically every minute of it.
Read Dan's ProfileAsk Dan about this guide:
