5 Stars the Toronto Raptors could deal for this summer: Trade or Fade?

No. 1: Kevin Durant

The player with the most pedigree on this list is Kevin Durant, a former league MVP and two-time Finals MVP who just flamed out in a first-round sweep with the Phoenix Suns and could be looking for greener pastures once again. Whether the Suns shop Durant to get out of their punitively expensive non-contending prison or Durant asks out, it would not be insane to see Durant on the move once again this summer.

The basketball fit of Kevin Durant on the Toronto Raptors is obvious and exciting. He remains one of the league's premier shooters, lethal from 3-point range and the midrange. He automatically sucks a team's best perimeter defender to him, opening up space for Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes to operate. He was also extremely good on defense this year, one of the few Suns who were, and he and Barnes providing weakside shot-blocking would open up a lot of defensive versatility.

The problem in trading for Kevin Durant is that he will be 36 years old before the start of next season, and his timeline simply doesn't add up for the Toronto Raptors. Scottie Barnes is entering just his fourth season in the league, and Quickley his fifth. Pushing all of their assets into the middle for a player like Durant suggests you are ready to contend for a title immediately; that's not the case for the Raptors.

Toronto considered but ultimately dropped out of the trade talks around Durant last year, and they would likely do the same this year if he were to come available. The idea of a player like Durant is incredibly exciting, but by the time this roster was ready he would likely be hanging up his basketball shoes. This one is an obvious fade.

Verdict: Fade