You can't go any more all-in than the Suns did on Kevin Durant

Eight months after Kevin Durant originally requested a trade out of Brooklyn - the equivalent of a lifetime in the fast-paced NBA - the Nets finally gave the 34-year-old superstar what he wanted.

Early Thursday morning, the Nets and Suns reportedly reached a deal to send Durant and T.J. Warren to Phoenix in exchange for Mikal Bridges; Cam Johnson; Jae Crowder; unprotected first-round draft picks in 2023, 2025, 2027, and 2029; and first-round swap rights in 2028.

Though the Nets appeared to still have enough defense and shooting around Durant to compete for a title following the Kyrie Irving trade earlier in the week, they granted KD's wishes, bringing an end to a tumultuous four-year run.

Remember: The reason Brooklyn could still sniff contention, even without Irving, is because of who Kevin Durant still is when healthy.

Even in his 16th season, at his old age (relative to the NBA), KD tilts the balance of power on the court like only a select few players can.

In 39 games this season, Durant's averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 blocks. He's shooting better than 60% inside the arc for the second time in the last three years, with overall shooting splits of 56-38-93. He remains one of the game's most terrifying jump shooters, while also converting 78% of his attempts at the rim - the second-highest mark of his career, according to Cleaning The Glass.

On the defensive end, Durant's length and timing have kept his baseline high. He's posted the third-highest block rate of his career, and his highest in five years. Among 74 players to defend at least 600 shots this season, Durant's defensive impact on those attempts ranks seventh, according to NBA.com. He can thrive as a helper and rim-protector in smaller lineups, or use his length as a one-on-one defender in more traditional lineups anchored by Deandre Ayton or one of Phoenix's other centers.

That's the level of two-way superstar the Suns are adding to a team already featuring Devin Booker, who was playing near-MVP caliber ball before a groin injury sidelined him for six weeks, and Chris Paul. On paper, Phoenix immediately becomes the West's best - if not the NBA's best.

But championships aren't won on paper, and while the offensive possibilities are endless, the new-look Suns are far from flawless. Teams with size like Denver and New Orleans should be able to feast in the paint against Phoenix, while the Suns' overall defensive ceiling is lowered with Durant and Warren replacing Bridges and Johnson.

Durant, Booker, and Paul can help the Suns overcome those deficiencies, with one silky smooth jumper after another, but that's assuming the team's new Big Three can actually stay on the court.

In two-and-a-half seasons since returning from a devastating Achilles injury, Durant missed 38% of Brooklyn's games due to a variety of ailments, including multiple knee injuries. Booker's long-term durability shouldn't be a concern, but he's missed 26 games this season, and has now been sidelined twice by a groin issue. Paul has more influence than any 37-year-old, 18-year veteran should, but he's not quite the same Point God anymore. He's also missed 21 games this season, and has a history of being snakebitten by playoff injuries. Meanwhile, Ayton now represents the franchise's last meaningful trade chip.

Suffice to say: This monumental transaction is not without risk.

If Durant, Booker, and Paul, all under contract through at least 2025 (though Paul's deal isn't fully guaranteed), help the Suns win the franchise's first championship, it will be a worthwhile gamble for new owner Mat Ishbia. But they need to win at least one to avoid this being a colossal failure. Including the 2028 pick swap, three of the five first-rounders Phoenix gave up will be drafted after Durant's and Paul's contracts expire. The unprotected 2029 pick will be made after Booker's current contract expires. Only the taste of champagne can wash away the potential bitterness ahead in the distant future.

For the Nets, this marks the disappointing end of what was supposed to be the most promising era in franchise history when Durant and Irving chose Brooklyn in 2019 free agency. Less than four years later, the Nets have one playoff series victory to show for it, with Durant and Irving appearing in only 74 regular-season contests together. Brooklyn still also owes Houston multiple unprotected first-rounders from the team's 2021 trade for James Harden.

At the same time, perhaps it's somewhat cathartic for the franchise to finally be done with Durant and Irving. We all knew this purge was coming sooner rather than later, even if the Nets did (temporarily) survive a dysfunctional 2022 offseason in one piece.

General manager Sean Marks has rebuilt the Nets from the ashes before, which eventually led to the acquisitions of Durant and Irving a few years after Marks inherited one of the worst teams for an executive in NBA history. In recouping draft capital by trading Harden (after only one year in Brooklyn) and Irving while remaking the Nets around Durant, Marks nearly did it again. Now the 47-year-old executive has a fresh start.

If Brooklyn plays its cards right in one of the league's marquee markets, uses its newfound asset capital wisely, gets some breaks, and times things right, who knows, perhaps one day the club can land a star. Maybe even one as good as Kevin Durant.

Joseph Casciaro is theScore's senior content producer.