The Detroit Pistons spent part of the summer exploring a swing at Kevin Durant, according to reporting from ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill.
Goodwill wrote that “The Pistons inquired about trading for Kawhi Leonard and Kevin Durant this offseason, according to league sources, and were positioned to offer Austin Reaves a big free agent contract if the Los Angeles Lakers opened the door. None of that materialized.”
That pursuit came during a busy offseason around Durant, who had been part of trade discussion despite Houston bringing him in to help push the Rockets forward. Brett Siegel reported that the Rockets did not treat Durant as an untouchable piece.
“Whether or not the Rockets look to continue their partnership with Durant is the big question at large, especially since they don't view him as an "untouchable" talent in trade talks on their roster. Houston viewed the opportunity to acquire Durant as a way to upgrade from Jalen Green and bridge the gaps in their lineup to contend in the West, but by no means was this addition viewed as a long-term commitment,” Siegel wrote.
Houston’s first season with Durant had its highs and lows. The team showed flashes of being special, but inconsistency never fully disappeared. The source of that uneven stretch, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Tim MacMahon, was tied in part to injuries for Steven Adams and Fred VanVleet.
“Interviews with team sources and those with knowledge of the team's operations reveal that the VanVleet injury, and the season-ending ankle injury to Steven Adams later on, impacted the team in ways that extended off the floor. Beyond the team's glaring lack of playmaking, their absences created a massive leadership void that Durant and the team struggled to fill," Shelburne and MacMahon wrote.
Detroit’s interest in Durant was one piece of a broader summer of big-game hunting that ultimately came up empty. Still, the Pistons held onto their young core, and the next step may be adding veteran help. Durant would have fit that idea, but the cost to get him likely made it a tough deal to close.
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