Hawks Recently Offered Trade Package for Kevin Durant

In the past month, the Atlanta Hawks offered the Brooklyn Nets a large trade package for Kevin Durant.

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Just when you thought the NBA drama had taken a break for the month of August, the trade rumors fired back up. Shams Charania of The Athletic just published an article where he broke down the ongoing trade talks centered around Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant.

To the surprise of Atlanta Hawks fans, the organization has reportedly been active in pursuing the perennial All-NBA forward. According to Charnia, the Hawks offered John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, and a draft pick for Durant within the past month.

A new Western Conference contender is expressing interest in Kevin Durant – fresh Inside Pass at @TheAthletic breaking down the latest on the Nets star:https://t.co/hprnn3hXj1

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 22, 2022

There is a lot to unpack there. First, let's start with the timeline. If the trade package was offered in the past month, that means sometime since approximately July 22. That would be over three weeks after the Dejounte Murray trade. 

The trade proposal also went down roughly two weeks after the Hawks posted a series of pictures of Collins and Hunter with the team in Las Vegas at the NBA 2K23 Summer League. 

Next, let's dive into the trade package itself. Collins has four years remaining on the 5-year, $125 million contract he signed last August. The springy power forward battled injuries last season but still averaged 16.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Atlanta's front office has shopped Collins around the league for years, only to keep hanging onto him. 

Meanwhile, Hunter has one year remaining on his rookie contract and is currently eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension. However, we have not heard an update on contract negotiations since July 19. Hunter was inconsistent throughout the 2021-22 season but averaged 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

Brooklyn Nets forward and Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young hug after a game during the 2021-22 season / © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The last component of the reported trade package is one draft pick, which feels like the least amount of draft capital the Hawks would have to send as part of the deal. Keep in mind that the Hawks traded four draft picks as part of the Murry trade but picked one up in the Kevin Huerter deal with the Sacramento Kings.

A big three of Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, and Kevin Durant is enticing. Earlier this summer, Young made it known that he wanted to play with Durant. The two All-Stars have a friendship that dates back to their time in Oklahoma City. Just this week, Young worked out Durant in Los Angeles.

However, according to Charania's article, none of Brooklyn's conversations with potential trade partners gained much traction. But at least we know that Atlanta's front office is still hunting another superstar. Stay locked into AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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