The Phoenix Suns: The Brooklyn Nets Trade for Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren after the NBA All-Star Breakup?
The Brooklyn Nets traded Durant, along with forward, T.J. Warren, to the Phoenix Suns, according to multiple outlets, including the Associated Press and ESPN. The Suns will be the fourth NBA franchise for NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, who played for the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Golden State Warriors.
The Suns will send Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation to the Nets for the 13-time All-Star.
The Suns also receive forward T.J. Warren in the deal, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade is not yet official.
KD is doing a good job of scoring, averaging nearly 30 points per game this season. He asked for a trade last summer but was sold to the Suns by Thursday’s deadline.
He is recovering from a sprained knee ligament, and when he returns it will be to a Phoenix lineup that suddenly could be one of the best in the Western Conference.
The trade comes just hours after Mat Ishbia became the majority owner of the Suns. One of Tom Izzo’s walk-ons didn’t waste any time shaking up the NBA.
Phoenix has never won an NBA championship. Two seasons ago the Suns lost in the NBA finals to Milwaukee. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993.
The Suns have had several injuries this season, but played better in recent weeks and look like contenders again. The team had a 30-26 record and moved up to fifth in the Western Conference. Both Booker and Paul have recently come back.
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Irving scored 24 points in his Mavs debut. The Nets refused to give him a contract extension last summer, about the same time Durant was telling the team he wanted to be dealt.
“We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like,” Irving said. “There was still a level of uncertainty but we just cared about seeing each other be places that we can thrive. Whether that be together or whether that be apart, there has never been one moment where I’ve felt like he’s been angry at me for the decisions I’ve made or I’ve been angry at him.
Bridges was the runner-up to Boston’s Marcus Smart last season for the Defensive Player of the Year award and his offensive game continues to grow. The Suns beat the Nets 116-112 in Brooklyn on Tuesday with the swingman scoring 21 points.
The news also comes days after the Nets traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. These departures, coupled with the Nets trading James Harden to Philadelphia last year, marks the end of the Big Three’s tenure together.
“That is insane,” one fan, Joe Brooks, told NPR. “I can’t believe that they actually did it. This is the best player the Brooklyn Nets have had in their history.
After the news, a Philadelphia-based attorney and a long-time Nets fan, had posted a photo of his jerseys.
Fellow athletes also took to social media to collectively react to the Durant trade. Fellow NBA players like Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, Nets forward Royce O’Neale and New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier tweeted their disbelief.
But not everyone is upset by the news: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego shared her approval of the trade. The photo of the awning with “Durant’s” on it, was captioned “exensive, but worth it”.