Suns land Durant in megadeal with Nets
The Brooklyn Nets agreed to trade superstar Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in a monumental blockbuster hours before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.
Phoenix is sending Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to Brooklyn, along with unprotected first-round selections in 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029, and a 2028 pick swap, in return for Durant and T.J. Warren, the team announced.
The Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks were also included in the deal, with the Bucks getting Jae Crowder from the Suns and the Pacers receiving Serge Ibaka, Jordan Nwora, and George Hill.
| Suns receive | Nets receive | Bucks receive | Pacers receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Durant | Mikal Bridges | Jae Crowder | Serge Ibaka |
| T.J. Warren | Cam Johnson | Jordan Nwora | |
| 1st-round pick (2023) | George Hill | ||
| 1st-round pick (2025) | 2nd-round pick (TBD) | ||
| 1st-round pick (2027) | 2nd-round pick (TBD) | ||
| 1st-round pick swap (2028) | 2nd-round pick (TBD) | ||
| 2nd-round pick (2028) | |||
| 1st-round pick (2029) | |||
| 2nd-round pick (2029) | |||
| Rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet |
Durant reportedly eyed a move to the Suns, who were rumored to have made a run at the perennial MVP candidate last offseason. Durant asked for a trade in the summer and eventually gave Brooklyn an ultimatum between keeping him or then-head coach Steve Nash before rescinding the request in late August.
The trade comes just three days after the Nets dealt Durant's disgruntled co-star, Kyrie Irving, to the Dallas Mavericks. The Nets have accumulated five first-round picks as a result of the two deals.
The 34-year-old Durant will head to the fourth franchise of his eventual Hall of Fame career. He's racked up 13 All-Star appearances, two NBA championships, and the 2013-14 MVP award throughout stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, and Nets.
Durant is fourth all time in career points per game with 27.3. This season, he's putting up 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting a career-best 55.9% from the field.
For Phoenix, the gargantuan deal takes place days after new owner Mat Ishbia's $4-billion purchase of the team was approved.
The Suns will add Durant to a contending team that possessed the league's best record last season. They feature the dynamic duo of Devin Booker and Chris Paul in the backcourt along with burgeoning big man Deandre Ayton down low.
Phoenix has been one of the hottest teams in the Association as of late, winning three straight and eight of its last 10, and now sits fifth in the Western Conference at 30-26.
Meanwhile, the 32-22 Nets get an immediate impact piece in Bridges. The 26-year-old has blossomed into one of the best two-way players in the league, averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game this season.
Once loaded with all-time scorers in Durant, Irving, and James Harden just over one year ago, the Nets now have one maximum-level player left on their roster in Ben Simmons.