Is now the time for the Wizards to bring in the hometown hero?

With his right-hand man Kyrie Irving requesting a trade Friday afternoon, Kevin Durant may quickly become available on the trade market. Many teams have already inquired about his reaction to the news. If he demands a trade, what better team to move for him than his hometown team the Washington Wizards.

KD was born and raised in the DC area, eventually going to college in Texas as a one and done athlete and being drafted by the Seattle Supersonics (now the OKC Thunder). As we already know, no story is as great or as beloved as a hometown hero story.

We saw LeBron James, “The Kid from Akron” be drafted to the Cleveland Cavaliers and win them their first championship. Derrick Rose won MVP for his hometown Chicago Bulls. Why not add Kevin Durant to that list?

Durant is a player whose image is damaged following his decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors back in 2016, finding his way home to DC and possibly bringing a championship to the city he was raised in is easily the best way to clean up his public image and cement his legacy as a top ten player of all time.

What would it take for the Brooklyn Nets to trade a player like Kevin Durant.

The Brooklyn Nets have all the leverage on Kevin Durant as he is on contract for another three seasons following the conclusion of the 2022-’23 season. However, if they aren’t able to find a great suitor for Kyrie Irving and have to settle for a smaller deal, or even worse if he walks in free agency, they may be forced to rebuild. Kevin Durant may not be enough without a legitimate second option.

If they are forced to move Durant due to an unfortunate trade situation with Kyrie Irving, the Nets would look for a hefty sum of draft picks as well as a younger star. In the Wizards case they have a few options.

They could package Kristaps Porzingis and his deal that ends in 2024, Deni Avdija, Corey Kispert, and essentially all of their draft picks for the foreseeable future over the offseason. This would guarantee an All-Star caliber player plus some young players with potential for the Nets.

Another, less likely option, is the Wizards offer Kyle Kuzma, Johnny Davis, Will Barton, Deni Avdija, and Corey Kispert along with their draft future on Thursday’s trade deadline. This would give the Nets the ability to maximize their potential to get a good pick in this year’s loaded draft class.

Either way, it would take a huge package to even move the needle for the Nets. Kevin Durant is one of the greatest to ever do it and is still in his prime, even if he’s on the tail end of it. He is also still on a long-term contract.

In order for the Washington Wizards to get the hometown star that every team dreams about, they would need to gut the roster, including all of their young players. This doesn’t seem too likely as there is only so far a single player can get you.

Verdict: incredibly unlikely to happen.