At 1:05am on Deadline Day, the Suns become thieves of the night and acquire Kevin Durant for a package headlined by Mikal Bridges.
Photo By: Mark Blinch (Getty Images North America)
The Nets agreed to trade superstar Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in a huge blockbuster that will reshape the power structure in the NBA — and send Brooklyn back into a rebuild.
The Nets are also sending in veteran forward T.J. Warren moved to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 pick swap. Get unprotected picks in 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029.
Durant is now the third person to be kicked out of Brooklyn in less than 12 months after James Harden arranged a trade to Philadelphia at last year's close and Kyrie Irving was traded to Dallas last week demanding a switch. He's a superstar. What was supposed to be a superteam turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments in league history.
This move had been percolating since Irving — who arrived with Durant as a package deal in 2019 — demanded a trade on Friday, and was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks two days later. But the seeds were sown during last season’s disappointing campaign, which ended in a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Boston Celtics.
When Durant sprained his MCL last season, the Nets went 5-16. His concern over that capitulation and lack of fight during his absence prompted a June trade request, with the Suns one of his preferred landing spots (along with Miami). Durant didn’t rescind that request until after an August sit-down in Los Angeles with Nets general manager Sean Marks and Nets team owner Joe Tsai. But it turned out to be just a temporary reprieve for the Nets.
As for Brooklyn, they now enter a full rebuild after the Big 3 Era of Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, or Ben Simmons. The Nets now turn to Mikal Bridges as the likely Number 1 option. Bridges has averaged 19 PPG in 26 games without Devin Booker. The Villanova product has entered himself into the Most Improved Player conversation with his play as a primary ball-handler in Booker's absence. Cam Thomas could also have a more prominent role offensively. He's coming off 3 straight games of 40+ points in the midst of the Kyrie Irving trade.
Then for the Suns, they get one of the best players to ever pick up a basketball. They get another ball-handler who can play make for himself and for others. Then you also get a guy who has been on a championship team before. While Booker and Paul made the Finals 2 years ago, they didn't get over the hump against the Milwaukee Bucks. James Jones was also able to hold onto former #1 pick DeAndre Ayton, who many fans were surprised to see stay in Phoenix.
We're witnessing one of the best trade deadlines in history. Let's cherish this.
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