Blockbuster Kevin Durant Trade Could Reshape New Orleans Roster

With the NBA Draft coming this month, there are a lot of teams seeing a lot of rumors flying around. Not just with who teams will likely draft, but with possible trades. To no surprise, the New Orleans Pelicans are getting mentioned heavily.

One of the biggest blockbuster trades that has been floated this offseason involves both the Pelicans and superstar Kevin Durant...but doesn't include Durant playing for New Orleans. Because this would be a wild 4-team trade.

Wild Four-Team Pelicans Trade Scenario Floated

NBA writer Dan Favale from Bleacher Report brings us this wild trade concept that brings the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards into the mix. In this 4-team trade, 6 players would be shuffled, along with 6 draft picks (possibly, NBA pick trades are weird), and the Pelicans would only walk away with one player.

The proposed trade Favale brings us would look like this:

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Karl-Anthony Towns (from Knicks)

New York Knicks Receive: Kevin Durant (from Suns)

Phoenix Suns Receive:
Dejounte Murray (from Pelicans)
Yves Missi (from Pelicans)
Kelly Olynyk (from Pelicans)
2026 First-Round pick swap (Wizards)
2026 Indiana Pacers' First-Round pick (Top 4 Protected, from Pelicans)
2026 New Orleans Pelicans First-Round pick (Top 9 protected)
2028 First Round pick swap (Knicks)
2031 Toronto Raptors Second-Round pick (from Pelicans)

Washington Wizards Receive:
P.J. Tucker (from Knicks)
2027 First-Round pick swap (Pelicans)

This would see the Pels give up three players, and shuffle a lot of the draft capital they have been gathering. Including a draft pick they have for the 2031 draft they got in a trade with the Raptors (the Brandon Ingram trade).

Will this trade happen? Probably not. But not for the reasons you might think.

Pelicans' Front Office Shake-Up Could Impact Deals

The Pelicans might hesitate on trades right now, because their General Manager was just poached by the Atlanta Hawks. ESPN is reporting that New Orleans General Manager Bryson Graham as been hired by the Hawks to be their new Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations. This could slow down any moves that could be planned out.

But, Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations, Joe Dumars, is still in place. Dumars would really the one pulling the strings behind the scenes for NOLA, so trades could still be made...just probably not one as complex as a 4-team trade. Instead, a quick trade to move trouble superstar Zion Williamson is more likely.

Zion Williamson Trade Rumors Persist

There has been a constant rumor that Zion will be traded away from New Orleans for a few years. Usually, New Orleans is rumored to trade a superstar because they're afraid to pay them. But in Zion's case, the trade could be worked because of Zion's off-court issues. Which have been increasing recently. If the Pelicans want to move on from the Zion drama, they have a team that is being connected as a trade partner by a lot of sources.

The Brooklyn Nets seem to be excited about bringing the Zion headaches to their franchise.

Brooklyn Nets Emerge as Potential Zion Trade Partner

One of the common proposals for a trade between the Pelicans and Nets would see Zion going to Brooklyn for two young players, and two first round draft picks. NBA writer Vishwesha Kumar thinks it would look like this:

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans Receive:
Nicolas Claxton
Cameron Johnson
2025 First Round pick (19th pick)
2025 First Round pick (26th pick)

While Claxton has the potential to be a nightly double-double, Cameron Johnson's scoring is pretty intriguing. Johnson averaged 18.8 points-per-game last season, and could be a strong offensive weapon. But realistically the first round draft picks might be the best part of this trade.

Drafting for the Future: A Deep 2025 NBA Class

The Pelicans would also probably need to push for better picks from the Nets. The Nets currently hold 4 first round picks this year, the #8, #19, #26, and #27. If the Pelicans were serious, they would force the Nets to give them the #8 pick, and settle for the 19th or 26th as the second pick. If you were ever going to stock up picks for a draft, this would be the year.

Many NBA draft classes are super top-heavy, and drop off quickly. But many experts consider this to be a strong, and deep, class. If the Pelicans could get the #8 pick, and pair that with their #7 pick, they could really build something. Two of the top ten in a strong draft class could be enough to set a franchise up for success for the next decade.

If a player like Maryland's Derik Queen, or Rutgers' Ace Bailey fell to them at #7, and they got to take a talent like Illinois PG Kasparas Jakucionis, or Duke's Kon Knueppel right after that...come on. That would be so unfair a video game would decline it in-game.

Building for the Future: Why the Pelicans Need to Act Before the NBA Draft

The Pelicans have opportunities right now. Their roster is talented still, but aging. Dejoute Murray is knocking on the door of 30, CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk are 34, and both McCollum and Olynyk are entering the last year of their contracts. If the plan is to keep building around Zion, they need to get pieces to build. If the plan is to move Zion, they need to do it while they get the most in return to lay the groundwork for a future. Which means a pre-draft trade would be the best scenario.

Either way, its probably not good news if the Pelicans don't do anything before the draft.