According to The Athletic and ESPN, the Phoenix Suns made a shocking move late Wednesday night when they acquired star forward Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, hours after Mat Ishbia took over as owner of the franchise.
According to sources, Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four first-round draft selections will go to Phoenix in exchange for Durant and T.J. Warren. According to ESPN, the Nets will also receive a draft pick in exchange.
Durant joins the Suns’ underwhelming team, which currently sits at 30-26 and is tied for fourth place in the Western Conference. After winning the greatest regular-season record in 2021–22 and making it to the NBA Finals in 2020–21, Phoenix lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the conference semifinals.
Thursday is the deadline for NBA trades.
With Durant’s departure from the Nets, the ill-fated “Big Three” that was supposed to bring Brooklyn greatness is put to rest.
In July 2021, Kyrie Irving agreed to a free-agent contract with the Nets, and Durant signed on the following month. The Nets were thought to be a strong contender when James Harden was acquired in a trade in February 2022, but injuries and Irving’s numerous off-court problems dashed those aspirations.
Last year’s playoffs saw the Nets get swept in the first round. In July, Harden left as a free agent. Durant has also left the team after Irving, who last week demanded a trade, was sold to the Mavericks on Monday.
The 34-year-old Durant is a 13-time All-Star and has won two NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors. He was also named the league’s Most Valuable Player in 2013–14. Due to a damaged medial collateral ligament in his right knee, he has been out since January 8.
Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over the course of 39 games this season. He has averaged 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists throughout his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State, Seattle SuperSonics, and Oklahoma City Thunder.
After recuperating from a foot ailment that kept him out of action for the entirety of previous season, Warren, 29, appeared in just 20 games for the Nets. For Brooklyn, he averaged 9.5 points and 2.8 rebounds, which is significantly less than his career averages of 15.1 points and 4 rebounds.
The NBA All-Defensive team included Bridges, 26, last year. In 56 games for Phoenix this season, he averaged a career-high 17.2 points and 4.3 rebounds, outpacing his previous bests of 12.2 points and four rebounds.
Johnson, 26, was leading Phoenix in scoring this season with 13.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in 17 games (16 starts). He averages 10.7 points and 3.6 rebounds throughout the course of his career.
The 32-year-old forward and the Suns agreed he would sit out until he could be traded, thus Crowder hasn’t played this year. He is moving on to his ninth NBA squad and boasts averages of 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.
