Kevin Durant

The Phoenix Suns are reportedly sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and five draft picks to Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant and TJ Warren.

“He’s a great example for a lot of young guys, our guys and a lot of young guys in the league to one, have the temperament and the patience to play the way he does and develop and let the game come to him,” Casey continued. Durant and Suns guard Damion Lee were teammates in Golden State in the 2018-19 season. “I am incredibly grateful to Grant Hill and Coach Kerr, both for giving me the opportunity to be an assistant coach and for their understanding of my decision.” I want the group in the locker room to want to win. Before playing Tuesday in Brooklyn, Johnson talked about his love for Phoenix, but also addressed the idea of Ishbia making a major move to begin his tenure as team owner. “You wouldn’t have said he’d be able to run pick-and-rolls and start the offense or be a quasi point guard for their team when he first came into the league, but he’s grown into that. Durant, 34, wanted out of Brooklyn last summer as he put Phoenix atop his wish list, but the Nets and Suns were unable to get a deal done. The Suns and Nets finished their home-away series Tuesday as Phoenix won, 116-112, in Brooklyn to complete the regular-season sweep. Durant is currently out with a sprained right MCL and isn’t expected to return to action until after the All-Star break. Crowder has yet to play a game this season with the Suns (30-26) as the two sides “mutually agreed” he wouldn’t attend training camp. He scored 17 points against the Suns in Tuesday’s loss in Brooklyn. The Suns are trading four first round picks, a pick swap, Jae Crowder, Bridges and Johnson for Durant and T.J.

Kevin Durant's time in Brooklyn has ended. The Nets agreed to trade him to the Phoenix Suns, a person with knowledge of the details says.

“We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like,” Irving said. Irving scored 24 points in his Mavs debut against the Clippers on Wednesday. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. Durant was moved just days after the Nets traded Kyrie Irving from Dallas, a stunningly fast end to the superstar era in Brooklyn. The trade comes just hours after new Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia was introduced in Phoenix.

When the Nets traded James Harden to the Sixers at last year's deadline, it felt like the pinnacle of crazy trade deadlines. Well... this year's deadline ...

If he isn’t rerouted by the end of the trade deadline, he seems like a logical buyout candidate. At the beginning of the week, the Suns had a $108 million luxury tax and $293 million roster. They go from being one of the most constrained and expensive teams to one of the more flexible and asset-rich in the league. A lot of these players also hold a lot of trade value themselves and could return first-round draft compensation should the Nets decide to sell more. There’s potential for this trade to be expanded into a three-way, This could factor into a decision to remain competitive and flip their assets into an All-Star in the near future. Keeping Durant and re-signing Irving to a salary at his current amount would’ve put Brooklyn’s expenses in the $350-plus million range annually. They still have a salary dump or two to make to remain under the tax next season while re-signing Johnson, but the pathway is within reach. It felt like Durant trade talks would be shelved until the offseason, but with the most optimal package they could get presented from Phoenix available to them, they had to pull the trigger now. Phoenix had all their own first-round picks going forward and enough matching salary on the roster to trade for just about anyone. When the Nets traded James Harden to the Sixers at last year’s deadline, it felt like the pinnacle of crazy trade deadlines. this year’s deadline has already featured two star players getting moved by the same team, including one of the greatest players to ever be traded mid-season.

Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae, Crowder, and five first-round draft picks was the bounty that it took to bring KD to Phoenix.

Durant is currently nursing an MCL sprain and isn’t expected to be available for play until after the All-Star break. Warren will return as a part of the deal. His increased offensive capabilities were a welcomed sight as the team needed to lean on him to be a scorer in Booker’s absence. Cameron Johnson, who had recently recovered from a knee injury, was also doing well, scoring a career high in points (13.9). BREAKING: The Phoenix Suns are nearing a blockbuster trade to acquire Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, sources tell ESPN. [Phoenix Suns](https://www.brightsideofthesun.com), just hours after the introductory press conference of new owner Mat Ishbia, completed one of the most influential trades in franchise history.

The Nets reportedly will receive Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, 4 first-round draft picks and a pick swap for Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.

They also played in the Finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. “We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like,” Irving said. The Suns made the Finals two seasons ago, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Irving scored 24 points in his Mavs debut against the Clippers on Wednesday. The trade comes just hours after new Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia was introduced in Phoenix.

First off, wow. Just wow. That move not only altered the landscape of the Suns and Brooklyn Nets, but quite possibly the entire league. Now, the question ...

The loss of Mikal Bridges hurts, but having him and Ayton lurking in the paint together is going to be huge for the team’s rim protection moving forward. The good news, though, is that no team in the title hunt this year is flawless. But the bigger issue with him is his lack of scheme versatility against better offenses. This tactic did two things: 1) it forced a ton of turnovers (Booker and Paul combined for seven per game in the series), and 2) it forced the ancillary guys to try to create for themselves. Just imagine a team double-teaming Booker to get the ball out of his hands, only for him to give it up to Durant. With Durant, Paul, and Booker, this shouldn’t be too tall of a task (in theory), but it is still worrisome nonetheless. Outside of interior scoring, the two biggest issues this team faces moving forward are depth and defense. But for now, depth is a massive concern for this group. The Nets – despite employing half of all the rangy forwards in the NBA – are no longer in title contention this year. For one, the Suns’ rim pressure issue continues to linger. Or, to frame it more pointedly, how does this change the title race for this season? Well, let’s just get the obvious out of the way.

The newly acquired All-Star started out strong in his first Mavs game, but also had thoughts on his former teammate's move from Brooklyn.

He tries to play the game the right way by moving and setting screens for his teammates,” Kidd said. “It was pretty easy to tell what he was going after when I was playing with him. “The beauty of Kai is he is all about winning. Irving said he followed the same approach when he played with other star players, including Durant and LeBron James. “I don’t want to force anything on him or do anything that is out of my norm.” He played that tonight with his teammates.” Some of Irving’s teammates said they felt the same way after he told them during Tuesday’s practice and Wednesday’s shootaround “to have fun.” The rest of the Mavericks starting lineup also scored in double figures, including Tim Hardaway Jr. Irving experienced what he called a “long 96 hours” that included little sleep and lots of packing after the Brooklyn Nets “It felt like he’s been here for a while.” “He works on his craft. “I’m just praying for his happiness and praying for his well-being. We’ve just tried to understand each other a lot and grow as human beings and grow as brothers.”

The Brooklyn Nets traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, sending several young players and future draft picks back to Brooklyn for the 13-time All Star, ...

Durant signed with the Nets alongside fellow star Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019, and Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season due to an achilles injury. Despite sky-high expectations, the Nets never reached a conference, let alone NBA, finals with Durant and Irving, as Durant battled injuries and Irving struggled to stay off the court due to a variety of off-court incidents, including a 2021 suspension over his refusal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine and a suspension earlier this season for promoting antisemitic conspiracies.The Nets traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week. Durant will join All-NBA guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker with the Suns, who are now the odds-on favorite to win the Western Conference. Warren, according to [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35620592/phoenix-suns-acquiring-kevin-durant-blockbuster-deal-brooklyn-nets)’s Adrian Wojnarowski and the [Athletic](https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nba-trade-deadline-latest-news/RiRGvr8UglN4/)’s Shams Charania, while the Nets also received the right to swap 2028 first round picks with the Suns as a cherry on top. [several](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35620592/phoenix-suns-acquiring-kevin-durant-blockbuster-deal-brooklyn-nets) [outlets](https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nba-trade-deadline-latest-news/RiRGvr8UglN4/) reported early Thursday— capping Durant’s four-season tenure with the Nets that failed to deliver on the hype but swelled the four-time champion’s pockets.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving suggested late Wednesday night that he and Kevin Durant are in a good place despite the breakup of their partnership ...

Despite having three superstars, the Nets were ousted in the second round of the playoffs that season. They finally got on the court together in 2020-21, and general manager Sean Marks added another huge piece to the equation by acquiring perennial All-Star guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets. Warren to the Phoenix Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected first-round picks. Now, Irving and Durant are both in the thick of things in the Western Conference on teams with a legitimate chance to compete for a title. The Irving and Durant era didn't go the way most envisioned in Brooklyn, but they have both come out of it with an opportunity to return to championship glory. There's never been one moment where I felt like he's been angry at me for decisions I've made."

The Nets sent the 13-time All-Star to the Suns in an overnight blockbuster trade.

Kyrie Irving said he is "glad" that Kevin Durant "got out of there" just minutes after ESPN reported the Nets had agreed to trade the former NBA MVP to the ...

I would have liked to see that work for the long term, but there are no mistakes and no coincidences and you gotta move forward. Initially hailed as the core of a superteam that would contend for multiple NBA championships, the trio of Irving, Durant and Harden played just 16 games together in Brooklyn. "I think I would like to say something about the superteam of me, James and KD that everyone thinks should have worked. "We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like. I'm getting a little bit older. "He's getting a little bit older.

When news broke this past offseason that Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant reportedly requested a trade, the Phoenix Suns made sense as a landing spot ...

“I remember I told KD, ‘man, this is one of the only times in your career where you get to pick and choose where you want to play and where you want to live. “But Phoenix, Phoenix is the one I love a lot. I like Denver a lot, it’s super chill.” Four years later, they would be teammates on Team USA and win a gold medal together in the Tokyo Olympics. Booker, through his first two seasons in the NBA at that point, was Durant’s pick. “And I was like, ‘Alright.’” Warren are reportedly on the way to the Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, plus a pick swap. I like Phoenix, Scottsdale area is dope. You get the ability to choose,” Paul told USA TODAY Sports. From there, it turned out Durant really did have an interest in Phoenix as a potential destination. Said Booker's performance last night showed he's an all-around player who is only getting better. KD spoke highly of [@DevinBook] [https://t.co/KQzfotct2u]…

The Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets agreed to a blockbuster deal in the early morning hours of NBA trade deadline day that sent shockwaves through the league ...

The implosion of the Nets is one of the strangest stories in NBA history. Irving demanded a trade, and the Nets moved quickly to send him to Dallas. Would the Nets have chosen a deal with more future draft compensation (maybe from the Lakers?) if the knew KD would want out, too? The Suns have never won a championship before, and that is now their mission with KD and Booker. Irving wanted a max contract extension with all guaranteed money, the Nets reportedly wanted to protect themselves in case the NBA’s most unreliable superstar missed more games for who knows what reason. The Suns have two superstars in Durant and Booker, one aging Hall of Fame point guard in Chris Paul, and a talented if sometimes underwhelming young center in Deandre Ayton. The Suns have never had a player of Durant’s caliber in franchise history. Durant wasn’t going to have any star teammates left in Brooklyn if he finished out the season there, but he was going to have a deep team full of shooters and defenders around him. The Suns got a new governor in Mat Ishbia while [Durant had been playing at an MVP-level](https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2023/1/1/23524306/nba-mvp-candidates-ranked-nikola-jokic-luka-doncic-kevin-durant) for the Nets at age-34. Now in Phoenix, Durant has the co-star he craves in Devin Booker, but the supporting cast is looking thin. The Suns started this season 19-12, then went on a prolonged losing streak after Booker went out of the lineup on Christmas. Durant reportedly wanted to go to Phoenix last offseason when he requested a trade from the Nets, and now he finally has his wish.

The Suns will send Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation to the Nets for Durant, ...

But it seems impossible to replace the firepower they lost with Durant and Irving, two All-Star starters. 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. "We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like," Irving said. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. James Harden was traded at last year's deadline, leaving the Nets with little to show for the brief time they had the Big Three together.

Early reviews are in for the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets blockbuster trade involving Kevin Durant. And they are very favorable toward the Suns.

It feels like a hasty move by the Suns when the Nets should’ve been the ones sweating." [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). This is the type of player who, once he’s back healthy, can take a much worse team than Phoenix to the NBA Finals and perhaps to a title. It wrote: "It’s not that a combination of Durant, Paul and Booker can’t work. Now a team with a championship ceiling just added one of the best players in the league. It writes: "Nonetheless, if you’re going to gamble all tradeable first-round picks on a single addition, Durant is undoubtedly the best player gettable. Keeping Deandre Ayton as part of the deal is awesome for the Suns. With the Western Conference wide open, this move is a home run for Phoenix." Getting Warren back in the deal is a nice sweetener for the Suns. Benyam Kidane writes: "From a financial perspective, this trade is a win for the Suns, who not only raise their championship ceiling with Durant, but also move on from the disgruntled Crowder. Over the weekend, it was reported Paul could be headed to Brooklyn in exchange for Kyrie. You'd better hope you beat this team in the first 43 minutes because you don't stand a chance in the last five."

The first time he did so, he created the greatest professional basketball team ever assembled and won two championships with the Warriors. The second time he ...

The Lakers [made it clear](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-trade-rumors-lakers-rob-pelinka-explains-what-it-would-take-to-move-future-first-round-picks/) that they only planned to make a major move if they felt it could vault them into the championship picture. After four disappointing seasons with the [Brooklyn Nets](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/BKN/brooklyn-nets/), Durant is headed to the [Phoenix Suns](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/PHO/phoenix-suns/). The Nets are going to fade out of the spotlight now. The Lakers wouldn't have made the move if the didn't believe it would give them a fighting chance in the wide-open Western Conference. Durant scored 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting in the first game, but was then held to 12 points in the second and 17 points in the third. Such a move would have been significant for the Hawks largely because they've been trying to find Collins a new home for several years now, and he's having the worst year of his career. It only took two years for the Harden trade to grow into one of the greatest disasters in The Raptors might have the single best Durant defender in basketball right now. The Nets currently hold a 19.5-game lead over the Rockets in the standings, so nothing is likely to come of that swap. The Nets used to have three of them. The Nets probably aren't headed to the dumpster immediately. Below are the biggest winners and losers of the Durant trade excluding the players and teams that were directly involved in it.

The blockbuster trade brings a clean slate to both KD and Phoenix.

Here is a timeline of the Durant era in Brooklyn.

Kyrie Irving got his wish to be traded out of Brooklyn, and he said he's glad fellow superstar Kevin Durant followed him out the door.

The NBA trade deadline has been a whirlwind for fans, so let's recap a crazy 24 hours around the association ahead of the 1 p.m. MST cutoff.

He’s also obviously going to take stuff off LeBron James and adds insurance if the all-time points leader or Anthony Davis get hurt. Lowkey, the Warren throw-in is super necessary because Phoenix lost those wings. The cost is high, but the window that’s open to go at an NBA Finals appearance this year makes it a risk worth taking. Chris Paul and Kevin Durant might be fragile, but having them take a backseat if necessary to let Devin Booker cook could be good for everyone. Though Hart could do the scoring deal a little bit. Bey is one of those Villanova guys that just knows how to play ball. They rerouted Knox and the picks to reacquired Gary Payton II, who was huge for Golden State in its NBA Finals run a year ago. As for the other bits of this, Gordon returns to familiar ground to help a Los Angeles team that just got some backcourt JUICE with Gordon and Bones Hyland in tow. At least he’ll be out on the free market to attempt another run with a contender. Hey, it’s like everyone out West is planning for a showdown with a likely MVP from Denver. Injuries have kept Gary Payton II to only 14 games played in a limited role. since sleeping through the initial shockwave of the Durant deal — we’re considering only trades from Wednesday and the 24 hours leading up to 1 p.m.

Fans, fellow NBA athletes and the mayor of Phoenix all took to social media to voice their reactions. "That is insane," one fan, Joe Brooks, told NPR.

For those that want one, the NBA will send a free placement to customers who purchased a jersey shortly after a player switched teams, [per its store policy.](https://store.nba.com/jersey-assurance/x-143713+z-91829756-2442190644) But not everyone is upset by the news: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego shared her approval of the trade. "Can't even go to sleep early anymore this time of the year," C.J. The Suns will be the fourth NBA franchise for the 34-year-old Durant, who previously played for the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. [to the Dallas Mavericks. The Brooklyn Nets traded Durant, along with forward, T.J.

The Phoenix Suns made one of their biggest moves in franchise history by reportedly bringing Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant to the Valley with a deal ...

With Durant, the Suns can realistically dream of an NBA championship this season. (It also may make it easier for Phoenix to move on from Paul this summer.) Now imagine what he is able to do with Durant causing sheer panic for the opponent. He’s become a complete basketball player when the stakes and expectations got raised significantly. Signed by Brooklyn for the veterans minimum after missing nearly two full seasons because of a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot, Warren has been quietly solid in limited minutes and will help fill out the Suns’ frontcourt rotation. I’m burying the lede by waiting this long to talk about Durant’s impact.

With Jaylen Brown injured, the C's need for extra wing depth is even more pressing now. The Nets, by way of acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith, Cam Johnson, Mikal ...

Had Durant stayed in Brooklyn, the Nets could have been dangerous even with Kyrie Irving having been traded earlier this week. “While the Nets have no incentive to tank in the present after trading away first round picks in previous deals for James Harden, they also are no longer pot committed on winning during this current season to help keep Durant happy. With the Nets now firmly moved on from the ‘big 3’ era, Brooklyn could be interested in selling off some of their pieces who could be of use to a contender.

The blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets has shaken up the odds to win the NBA championship.

“Kevin Durant is coming off an injury, we expect him to be fine shortly after the All-Star break,” Legler said. “Devin Booker just came back, so this is not going to be seamless. [blockbuster trade](https://www.nj.com/sports/2023/02/nets-trade-kevin-durant-in-deadline-blockbuster.html) that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets has shaken up the odds to win the NBA championship. Phoenix (30-26) is tied for the fourth seed in the West with the Dallas Mavericks, who just He is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. The Boston Celtics are the favorite at 3/1, while the Denver Nuggets are at 6.5/1.

In Kyrie Irving's mind, setting ablaze the fabric of the Nets was beyond his control. In reality, Brooklyn's gravest mistake was holding Irving accountable.

André Snellings and Eric Moody break down what the trades of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook mean from a fantasy perspective, and look at the other ...

[Josh Hart](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3062679/josh-hart) joins the Knicks and is reunited with former Villanova teammate [Jalen Brunson](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3934672/jalen-brunson) in New York. If you recall, he was traded from the Raptors to the Spurs in 2018 as part of the [Kawhi Leonard](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6450/kawhi-leonard) trade. [Cameron Payne](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3064230/cameron-payne), [Landry Shamet](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3914044/landry-shamet), [T.J. [Lonzo Ball](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066421/lonzo-ball) this season due to a knee injury that has kept him off the court since Jan. The veteran out of Ohio State has averaged 7.7 APG, a career high, and Gobert set an on-ball screen for Conley 21.9 times per game last season, second only to [Chris Paul](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2779/chris-paul) and [Deandre Ayton](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278129/deandre-ayton). [Kyrie Irving](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6442/kyrie-irving) moving to the [Dallas Mavericks](/nba/team/_/name/dal/dallas-mavericks) earlier in the week and [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant) and [Russell Westbrook](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3468/russell-westbrook) both dealt on Wednesday. [Rudy Gobert](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032976/rudy-gobert) in Minnesota and should slot into the starting point guard role. [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant), [T.J. O'Neale and Finney-Smith are role players both in the NBA and in fantasy, but Johnson still has achievable upside with his ability to knock down shots. None of the other Nets are high-usage guys, and in fact their frontcourt is comprised almost entirely of defense-first players that can either stretch the floor or finish at the rim but that don't create for themselves. Ayton could be the Suns player that sees the biggest drop in his fantasy status with this move. For the second time in half-a-week, we're in this space talking about the Nets giving up an All-NBA player for a package of productive younger players and draft picks.

In a blockbuster trade, the Phoenix Suns have acquired Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, the NBA teams announced Thursday.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to building the team Brooklyn deserves.” On Thursday, the Nets traded Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks. Durant was under contract with the Nets through the 2025-26 season – though he to the Valley as we build a championship culture both on and off the court. On Sunday, the team traded The Nets will receive Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap to Brooklyn, the Suns said.

Now that the frenetic trade deadline has come and gone, let's take some time to sort things out.

The Clippers are also in desperate need of a point guard, and have been reported to buy John Wall out of his contract if they can't trade him ahead of the 3 p.m. The veteran guard is leaving the rebuilding Rockets in a deal that sends him to the contending Clippers. A trade might mean a return to the sixth-man role he was accustomed to, but he's proven that he can thrive as a starter, too, and he's done more than just create offense for himself. The truth is, he was not flourishing in the Warriors' environment and needed a change, and there was no way Golden State was ever going to recoup the full value of a No. The devil is in the details. In the meantime, he has yet another forward to compete with for playing time, as the Hawks added Saddiq Bey at the deadline. Payton should serve as a spark plug for the stretch run, and they got him for a player that -- while talented -- had no clear path to a rotation spot. Houston owns Brooklyn's first-round picks in 2024 and 2026, with the right to swap picks in 2025 and 2027 (and this year, but that's not going to happen). I'm not saying the Lakers are now in position to compete for a title, but they're at least in position to compete. Just a couple of months ago, Morant named the Boston Celtics as primary competition for himself and the Grizzlies, while famously proclaiming that he was "fine in the West." Now they have to contend with a superteam in Phoenix, while the Nuggets' only trade deadline move was acquiring big man Thomas Bryant from the Lakers -- not exactly moving the needle. Fans may not like the idea of superstars bailing on their franchises to form superteams, but there's no doubt that Durant has come out a winner in this scenario.

Nets general manager Sean Marks addressed the media for the first time since the team's overnight blockbuster trade of Kevin Durant.

Warren](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/tj-warren-te6am5kOZ0yFvULt/) was also part of the Durant deal for a package that included [Mikal Bridges](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/mikal-bridges-dmZgViDJ3He5ZrQp/), [Jae Crowder](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jae-crowder-0vLcUgtCxJK833Re/), Cam Johnson, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation going to the Nets. So, you know, the additions that we have made to the team over this last week. “I’m excited,” Marks said. “I wish nothing but the best for both of them, their families and so forth,” he said. I mean, we have guys in that room that I’m extremely proud of and they’re going to compete. But again, I look back and we’ve done a lot of thinking and soul searching on this and we said, well, you know, we did everything we possibly could, you know, to maximize this organization’s potential, to have ourselves in the conversation for a championship, and that’s all we’ve done, and we’ve shown that we’ve built this team up twice.” So there’s a lot of emotions that are running through a lot of people’s heads if I’m going to be brutally honest.” Marks discussed the future of the franchise and its past, saying in part, “It didn’t work,” when asked whether he considered Brooklyn’s era featuring Durant and Kyrie Irving, who was [traded Monday to the Mavericks,](https://theathletic.com/4158190/2023/02/05/nets-trade-kyrie-irving/) a failure for the Nets. The [Nets then sent Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal with the Pacers](https://theathletic.com/4172825/2023/02/09/jae-crowder-trade-nba-nets-bucks/), The Athletic reported Thursday. They come with a lot of thought, a lot of process, a lot of systematic debriefs and discussions that go along with that. You know, it’ll linger here with many of our guys for sure for a long time.” “It’s always difficult when you’re trading a player of that stature and that ilk; very difficult,” Marks said.

No move was bigger than Phoenix Suns' agreement to trade for Kevin Durant. But the Lakers and Mavericks look stronger after deals of their own.

Hours before the Durant trade surfaced, the Lakers agreed to trade Westbrook to the Jazz in a three-team trade that included a package of draft picks and players headlined by Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell. Then last year, despite setting a franchise regular-season wins record, they ended their season with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. He eschewed the lectern, using it only to hold a bottle of water he sipped from during questions. Durant, 34, improves the team immediately, and dramatically. He spent the afternoon at the team’s practice facility strategizing with Jones. But every once in a while Golden State notches a signature win, like its Christmas game, that reminds everyone why this team has won four championships in the past 10 years. It had been difficult to know what to make of the West for much of this season. 20 but have developed a reputation for stumbling in the playoffs. The Warriors have had a confusing season as well. On Christmas, the Grizzlies faced Golden State, then struggling in 11th place. The Dallas Mavericks acquired the disgruntled but dynamic Kyrie Irving from the Nets to pair him with Luka Doncic, the star 23-year-old guard. No team is dominating, not even the Nuggets, who have led the conference since Dec.

The Phoenix Suns will now boast a starting lineup that will at least feature Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton.

Book can play with anybody and Chris can play with anybody. My time with him in USA Basketball and OKC has been consistent in that regard.” “Kevin is the hardest worker I’ve been around,” Williams said.

Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said that the addition of Kevin Durant has provided a 'jolt' to the organization.

"We got to get a rhythm, we got to understand how we can play together -- Kevin can play with anybody. I think that's the thing, I get it, it's definitely exciting -- but there's a lot that goes into this stuff, man. Now the Suns will have to build a new part of their family with Durant at the center of everything. "We got a chance to be really good," Williams said. I think we got punched in the face so many times where we've adapted and accepted to where, we've accepted adversity, it helped build confidence to where we've been in situations where a team threw everything at us to stop us even though we didn't have the right pieces on the court ... And KD, he just love to hoop. I think that's what brought me and Book closer together because he just love to hoop. "So you add him to the daggone who is that that the Harlem Globetrotters play against all the time? Where we're at, especially at the start of the season, we lost a few games and we seen what it's like. I think the guys are going to see something that they may not have seen before as far as his approach and how much he just loves to play basketball. "I think if he could hoop every day, 24/7 he would do that and I think that's who we are. Just because of, not just who he is as a player, but his love for the game.

The NBA trade deadline had plenty of league-shifting trades as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook will finish the 2022-23 season with a ...

Thirteen-time All-Star Kevin Durant was traded from the Nets to the Suns for a package that include Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and multiple ...

[CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM](https://www.foxnews.com/sports) [The Nets](https://www.foxnews.com/category/sports/nba/brooklyn-nets) planned to build up the roster around Durant by utilizing the players they acquired in the Irving trade. But a trade ultimately did not materialize at the time. The Nets even informed multiple teams that they were not entertaining trade talks about Durant before Thursday afternoon's trade deadline. [BROOKLYN NETS' KEVIN DURANT REPORTEDLY TRADED TO PHOENIX SUNS](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/brooklyn-nets-kevin-durant-reportedly-traded-phoenix-suns) [KYRIE IRVING SWIPES AT NETS AFTER KEVIN DURANT REPORTEDLY TRADED TO SUNS: 'GLAD THAT HE GOT OUT OF THERE'](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/kyrie-irving-swipes-nets-kevin-durant-reportedly-traded-suns-glad-out-there) [sending Kyrie Irving to Dallas](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nets-trade-kyrie-irving-mavericks-blockbuster-deal) in a trade.

After the Phoenix Suns acquired Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant, they became the new favorites in the Western Conference.

22-year-old Josh Green, who just earned a rotation spot for the first time this year and has been playing extremely well, is now one of the biggest X-Factors in the league. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are still taking games off, so I’m not sure how to build trust there for a game every other day in the postseason. It has always felt a player short, whether it’s the amount of help for Morant with the offense or just the wing to perfectly balance out their great bigs and guards. The braggadocios, fearless way in which the young Grizzlies operate has predictably developed some resentment their way and it feels like they are going through the process of figuring out how to deal with that. The Warriors are 16th in offensive efficiency and 16th in defense. It’s just a matter if the Pelicans can get healthy enough in time. If that comes, it is in business at the top. The tidal waves headed your direction after the impact are going to blow you of the water in the same way as what happens once the Nuggets’ bench comes into the game. There is an asteroid the size of Wyoming headed for the Atlantic Ocean. Durant, Booker, Paul and Ayton have the postseason experience to lead a title push. Cam Payne, Damion Lee and Ish Wainright have proven to be reliable in some sense this season and the Suns will need that. They both really needed that and now Paul can be far fresher in the postseason.

Also, John Collins is still in Atlanta, and Gary Payton II returns to Golden State.

[Kyle Lowry](/nba/players/1113164/kyle-lowry/) at the 2021 trade deadline when his contract was set to expire over the summer and just about everyone thought he would be dealt, and they did it again on Thursday. But he's healthy now, and he's going to help the Warriors immensely. It was tough to see him go last summer, but he had earned the $26 million payday the Blazers gave him, and the Warriors didn't want to spend what it would cost in salary and taxes to match the offer. [John Collins](/nba/players/2842788/john-collins/) still in Atlanta He was a tough trade when Travis Schlenk was pulling the strings. Durant and Irving hijacked a lot of the attention, potentially shifting plans league-wide, and Toronto, as usual, was unwilling to compromise even a little bit on a deal. They had a basket of guys believed to be on the block -- On the other hand, they also have the Bird rights to sign Russell and/or Beasley if they see either of them as building blocks, with their 2023 pick (swap with New Orleans) and 2029 pick to further solidify the roster. Now, at the deadline, to get this kind of return for just the one pick was, to me, pretty surprising. [NBA](/nba/) continues to be out-of-its-mind wild. The 2023 NBA trade deadline has come and gone, and now we get to evaluate all that has happened. Leading up to the middle-of-the-night bombshell, all reporting had indicated that Durant was going to stay in Brooklyn.

Three-time Olympic gold medallist Durant expected to make Suns debut after the All-Star break due to knee injury.

[Chris Paul](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/chris-paul) and [Devin Booker](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/devin-booker) in Phoenix with Bahamian centre DeAndre Ayton also in a star-studded roster. [Luka Doncic](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/luka-doncic) cheering from the bench - scoring 24 points in the victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. [Kevin Durant](https://olympics.com/en/athletes/kevin-durant) joined the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday (9 February) just before the end of the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

The acquisition of D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt is the Lakers' major attempt to fix the Russell Westbrook trade — and their ...

The praise keeps coming in for the Phoenix Suns' trade for Kevin Durant at the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

Paul–Devin Booker–Durant is the best trio in the West, and the Suns should be the unequivocal favorites to come out of the conference. With an MVP-level player on the roster, the Suns can become the biggest threat not only in the West but in the entire league." [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). The Suns will get four playoff runs with him at a time when there has never been more parity in the league. Jeff Zillgitt writes: "Nearly 36 hours after assuming controlling interest in the Phoenix Suns, owner Mat Ishbia, the CEO and chairman of United Wholesale Mortgage, stunned the league, acquiring Kevin Durant from Brooklyn for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks. Marginal upgrades made by the competition (Luke Kennard is a fascinating supplementary pickup for the Grizzlies) feel futile when you zoom out and consider Durant’s new situation. What’s inarguable, though, is that nobody is going to be particularly excited about the prospect of dealing with Durant, Booker and Paul in a seven-game series. Michael Pina writes: "If they aren’t the favorite, they are the proverbial team nobody wants to face. A foursome of Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton is as formidable as any in the league, and even though the trade depleted their depth, they still have capable, experienced role players like Torrey Craig, Cam Payne, Damion Lee and Landry Shamet." The Suns still have some draft capital available to them for future moves, although they’ll have to work on the fringes." Can this team remain healthy during the latter portion of the season and into the playoffs?" The Suns now have a top 4 of KD, Booker, Deandre Ayton, and Chris Paul.

Arizona Cardinals legend Larry Fitzgerald is very familiar with the Phoenix Suns. What does he think of the Kevin Durant trade?

[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). We'll get to see the rest of this season. "But, when you get the opportunity to have a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Olympian, all-time greats in Kevin Durant, a walking, talking bucket, you put him with Book and you know a point god like Chris Paul and a great big man in Deandre (Ayton). [NBA trade grades](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/02/09/kevin-durant-trade-grades-grading-phoenix-suns-brooklyn-nets-deal/69887859007/), [NBA trade winners lists](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/02/10/kevin-durant-trade-makes-phoenix-suns-nba-trade-deadline-winner/69891763007/) and [NBA trade reactions](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/02/09/phoenix-suns-kevin-durant-trade-reaction-brooklyn-nets-stuns-nba/69888092007/). "They are two terrific young players and I think they are both continuing to ascend. [Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson](https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2023/02/09/phoenix-suns-fans-mikal-bridges-cam-johnson-kevin-durant-trade/69888482007/) in the deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

Here let's look at which teams rose up and went down in our NBA Power Rankings after a frantic 2023 trade deadline.

[John Wall back](https://clutchpoints.com/rockets-news-houstons-immediate-john-wall-plan-getting-him-back-nba-trade-deadline) in the process. [Dubs finally](https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-trade-grades-after-sending-away-james-wiseman-bringing-back-gary-payton-ii) take their hands off James Wiseman. That’s especially with [Steph Curry missing](https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-steph-curry-to-be-re-evaluated-after-all-star-break-amid-injury) a ton of time as the Warriors try to maintain their play-in spot. [best win-loss record](https://www.espn.com/nba/standings) in the East. [Magic gave up Mo Bamba for Pat Bev](https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-mo-bamba-instagram-trade-la). [Mike Muscala](https://clutchpoints.com/celtics-trade-grade-mike-muscala-deal-thunder), who won’t move the needle for this team. The Jazz are out of the play-in picture right now and could continue to drop in these NBA Power Rankings. More importantly, the Bucks addressed their own key need by acquiring erstwhile disgruntled wingman [Jae Crowder](https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-jae-crowders-immediate-reaction-to-trade-to-milwaukee). They, however, filled a key need by acquiring [Thomas Bryant](https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-deadline-lakers-thomas-bryant-nuggets). [2023 NBA trade deadline](https://clutchpoints.com/nba-trade-deadline-2023-tracking-kevin-durant-and-every-other-deal) where a bevy of teams shuffled players and shook up their rosters. For a team that made one of the biggest trades in the 2022 offseason, the Cavs were dead silent at the deadline. [Nuggets traded Bones Hyland](https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-bones-hylands-shocked-reaction-la-trade-nuggets), which doesn’t impact their backcourt much after he lost his rotation spot.

Yahoo Sports will track all the trade rumors, news, players and teams to watch leading up to the deadline at 3 p.m. ET Thursday.

New NBA power rankings offer insight about what NBA writers think about the future of the Phoenix Suns this season.

8 in NBA power ranking 6 in NBA power ranking 5 in NBA power ranking 3 in NBA power ranking 2 in NBA power ranking [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Even though losing Mikal Bridges was a big blow for their defense and KD will be in the sidelines for a little longer, they’re now legit contenders." And given the general parity in the West and the amount of time left in the season, Phoenix catching the Memphis Grizzlies for second place in the conference doesn't feel out of the question." Take note that they also did so while managing to keep Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton. Ian Levy writes: "They landed Kevin Durant and kept Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. Kevin O'Connor writes: "The Suns added some guy named Kevin Durant, giving them a higher ceiling than they had even when they made the Finals two years ago. Warren forms a projected starting five of Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Durant, Warren and Deandre Ayton."

After leaving the Brooklyn Nets, it's time to release our predictions for Kevin Durant as he joins the Phoenix Suns.

Take note that Durant is not known for his frequent drives to the rim. In the previous year’s NBA Playoffs, the Suns suffered a disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks. The departure of Mikal Bridges also puts a hole in their defensive scheme. Now, as Chris Paul begins to feel the effects of age, Durant is in town to right the ship. Before this trade, the Suns could not really put themselves in that set. Still, Durant is certainly in the running. And while Phoenix surely needs to do some work in other aspects of the squad (more on that later), this Durant-Booker duo should go ballistic in the remaining months of the season. His being with the Suns now will only make his MVP case stronger. Despite a rocky start to the season, the Nets had solidified their status as a championship contender with Durant leading the way. After leaving the Nets, it’s time to release our predictions for Kevin Durant as he joins the Suns. Phoenix recognized this and [seized the opportunity](https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-blockbuster-trade-phoenix-people-tears). In a surprising NBA trade deadline blockbuster, superstar Kevin Durant moved to the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for a plethora of players and draft prospects.

The Valley is a celebrity-obsessed region. And for many reasons, the blockbuster addition is exactly what we needed.

Durant also boosts the image of new owner Mat Ishbia, who staged a debut press conference and traded for a NBA superstar within a dizzying span of 12 hours on Thursday. He’ll guarantee the Suns will wear the black hats, possibly the most villainous team in the NBA. And so did the rest of us. Durant and Devin Booker give the Suns a pair of elite scorers who can create their own shots. But the NBA is a star’s league. The Suns also exported two significant pieces in Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, raising questions about the team’s depth and defensive ability.

Given the hype about Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, Arizona needs a devil's advocate. I volunteer.

This is not a screed about the new Suns owner, Mat Ishbia. They are valuable athletes and exceptional human beings, and to understand how deeply their loss is felt in the Suns organization, watch the clip of He played a lot of good years in Philadelphia, then came to Phoenix and transformed the Suns. The Suns now have neither. He was injured much of the time he was here. The Phoenix Suns are one tendon tear from auctioning off their next decade. Though paired recently with two other superstars, he was not able to get the Brooklyn Nets beyond the Eastern Conference playoffs. He retired with the Houston Rockets at 36. This is the city that traded pitcher Max Scherzer and three other players to the Detroit Tigers for Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson. That’s not the letter grade I give the hometown team. He went on to win three Cy Young Awards, pitch two no-hitters and win a World Series. That’s a bacchanal that won’t be seeing straight for the next several weeks.

If the Suns feel that it will be so easy now after trading for Kevin Durant, Warriors star Draymond Green has some bad news for them.

And the reality is that you have Devin Booker, you say all right fellas this ain’t working we’re going to blow it up and start over, you get what five first round picks if you trade Devin Booker,” Green said. “What could be the downside for Phoenix? However, if they feel that it will be so easy now with a Big 3 or Big 4, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has some bad news for them.

Suns president of basketball operations James Jones spoke for the first time since the blockbuster Kevin Durant deal.

And he’s done that, he’s encouraged us to do that and we’ll continue to do that as long as he is on board with it.” “Mat’s been extremely supportive and collaborative in the sense that he brings a fresh perspective and desire to make decisions in the best interest of the franchise,” Jones said. ESPN noted that, at a certain point, the deal was practically done until the Nets then asked for Crowder to be a part of it as well. So then, that was the deal-breaker for most of Wednesday. So for us, it was trying to position ourselves to be ready if an opportunity like this presented itself and I think we were because we had all our draft picks, because we’ve been diligent with how we’ve built the team but more importantly just because as time has gone on I think we’ve established ourselves as a good franchise. The value of a good scoop is immeasurable.

As you would imagine, the Phoenix Suns are ecstatic about adding Kevin Durant prior to the trade deadline.

And KD, he just love to hoop. Prior to Durant’s injury, the Nets had won 18 of 20 games during a six-week stretch. I think that’s what brought me and [Devin Booker] closer together because he just love to hoop. When asked if he felt that the Suns were in position to win a championship after adding Durant, Ayton replied, “Damn right. “I think the guys are going to see something that they may not have seen before as far as his approach and how much he just loves to play basketball.” That’s why he is who he is.