Atlantic notes: Raptors, Durant, Brogdon, Milton, Knicks

Possible price to get Kevin Durant Nothing matters more wild birdsArgues Scott Stinson from The National Postwho said that deciding whether Durant would actually be a catalyst and investment in playing for Toronto should be the most important factor for key decision-makers in the team.

As Stinson writes, Durant’s motive for asking for a deal from Brooklyn remains a bit murky, especially since he just signed a four-year contract. extension last August. Vice Chairman and Chief of Basketball Operations should matter Maasai UjiriDealing with a star who may not be involved or on the same page with the club could be disastrous, according to Stenson.

Draw the similarities between the Al-Ajiri trade Kohi Leonard The 2018 season for Durant’s lottery is now meaningless, according to Stinson, because the situations are not the same.

Leonard was coming off the injury that caused him to miss nearly the entire 2017/18 season, was on an expiring contract, and captained the Raptors teams. Kyle Lowry And the Demar DeRozan He had plenty of time to make a breakthrough in the East, but he couldn’t get past it LeBron James. The Raptors finished second in the East in the two years after Leonard left Toronto, so the team clearly remained competitive and didn’t stake their future to get it, Stenson wrote.

Durant, on the other hand, has four years left on his deal, so it’s obviously going to cost a lot more to land him, plus the current version of the Raptors is on the rise, with Rookie of the Year Scotty BarnesAnd the Gary Trent Son.And the Precious Ichiwa Among the new additions that made major contributions to a team that improved their winning total from 27 to 48. Dealing with the budding core only for Durant to reject the idea of ​​staying could put Toronto in a tough hole to get out of, says Stenson.

Here’s more from the Atlantic:

• It can have a lower role on Celtics benefit Malcolm Brogdon From a healthy perspective? “The final blow against him after he dropped out of college was that he had horrible kneesCompetitor General Manager said Steve Bullpit from Heavy.com. “I mean, some of the scans were really suspicious in terms of how long his lower body could withstand the pounding of the NBA. That’s why he ended up in the second round, because he was close to the red flag. So the fact of the matter is that maybe it’s better for him to come off the bench with limited minutes, trying to be effective at 18 rather than trying to play 30 and always getting injured. The question becomes how will he accept it?. Boston It said Brogdon is seen as the sixth man, and said shortly after the deal was announced that he was excited to win a championship and was willing to sacrifice his individual stats for the betterment of the team.
• D. Anthony Melton He thinks it’s a “perfect fit” for SixersWrites Gina Meisel from the Philadelphia Inquirer (Subscriber link). “Once I saw the team, she asked me, “Well, this is a great placeMelton told The Inquirer by phone last week. “This is very suitable for me. …I understand what this team needs. I understand what this team is trying to do. I am ready for the task at hand. I’m ready for whatever’s to come. Milton was acquired by the Grizzlies in exchange for pick #23 (David Rudy) And the Danny Green On the day of the raffle.
• Free agent guard signature Galen Bronson It was a strong move for nicks But they still look like a team that played on paper, Ian O’Connor from The New York Post be seen. According to O’Connor, while Bronson is a good player and the best goalkeeper the Knicks will hire in years, neither he nor RJ Barrett or Julius Randle capable of being the best – or second-best – player on a team of championship caliber, and unless something drastic changes, New York will start 2022/23 as “just another barely relevant club”.