NBA Trade Rumors: Grizzlies Eye Nets’ Bridges, Raptors’ Anunoby After Durant Deal

Now that Kevin Durant is officially off the board as he moves to the Phoenix Suns, several teams are exploring deals ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Memphis Grizzlies were among the teams that called the Brooklyn Nets about the availability of Mikal Bridges after the Durant deal went down.

Scotto also noted the Grizzlies have “been engaged” in talks with the Toronto Raptors about O.G. Anunoby.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns will acquire Durant and T.J. Warren from the Nets in exchange for Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, four unprotected first-round draft picks and a pick swap.

Scotto noted the Grizzlies are trying to entice the Nets and Raptors by offering “several first-round picks” for each player.

The Raptors’ plan figures to be the most intriguing story on deadline day.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday’s episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast (around the 48-minute mark) after Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks that the Raptors might have been waiting to make a move under the assumption that Durant might request a trade from the Nets this summer.

Even with Durant off the board, Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri could go in any number of directions. Fred VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. are the only key players on their roster who can become free agents this offseason if they opt out of their current deals.

Anunoby is under contract through next season with a player option for 2024-25. The 6’7″ forward’s value is high as a two-way wing who is a career 37.1 percent shooter from three-point range.

Because of Anunoby’s contract status and positional value, the Raptors could hold on to the 25-year-old with the hope of contending next season and evaluating things before the 2024 trade deadline.

Wojnarowski noted the Nets insisted on Bridges being in the deal before they agreed to trade Durant. It’s unclear if that means they want to keep him or redirect him in a separate trade, but like Anunoby, he’s a versatile wing with multiple years left on his contract.

This is the first season of Bridges’ four-year, $91 million contract signed in October 2021. He’s not going to make more than $24.9 million in any season of this deal.

The Nets have been reloading on draft picks thanks to their trades of Durant, Irving and James Harden. But they also have a solid talent nucleus in place with Bridges, Cam Thomas, Nic Claxton, Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale.

That group is good enough to keep the Nets (32-22, fifth in the Eastern Conference) in playoff contention this season, but general manager Sean Marks could also try to keep adding more future draft capital before the trade deadline.

After watching the Suns add Durant to their roster, it’s not a surprise to see the Grizzlies aiming high in their quest to get better before the deadline. Their 33-21 record ranks second in the Western Conference, but they have lost eight of their last 10 games since Jan. 20.