The Brooklyn Nets made the Kevin Durant trade to the Phoenix Suns official on Thursday, ending their second “big three” attempt.
With Kyrie Irving heading to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Durant reportedly wanted to be moved as well, according to ESPN.
Although Brooklyn was reportedly telling interested teams that Durant was unavailable, owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks finally spotted the Suns package of Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks (2023, 2025 , 2027, 2029) and a first-round pick trade in 2028 as the right move to make.
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Kevin Durant is an NBA champion and MVP who started playing in the NBA in 2007. (Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images)
In the official business statement, Marks said the move was made for the long-term success of the club.
“After a thorough evaluation of the best path forward, we believe that making this trade now positions the franchise for long-term success,” Marks said. “Mikal and Cam are elite, up-and-coming and versatile wings, plus the capital draft provides us with additional avenues to continue acquiring talent. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building the team Brooklyn deserves. We’re excited to welcome Mikal back.” , Ham and their families”. to Brooklyn and thank Kevin for the moments and memories he delivered to our fanbase.”
KEVIN DURANT INFORMED NETS HE ‘WANTED TO MOVE ON’ BEFORE BEING TRADED TO SUNS: REPORT
The Nets wanted to build around Durant with Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, who were acquired in the trade from the Mavericks. But ESPN says Durant wasn’t impressed.
“I can tell you when they traded Kyrie Irving on Sunday, they didn’t think they’d trade Kevin Durant today,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Thursday.
Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center on April 25, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Elsa/Getty Images)
“Because the Kyrie Irving trade was created to support the players around Kevin Durant. And then Kevin Durant didn’t support him. And, very clearly on Monday and Tuesday, he made it clear that he wanted to move on and that they were facing a situation where they were in an urgent job”.
Durant still had three years left on a contract he signed before the start of this year worth more than $194 million. Now, he looks to team up with Devin Booker and Chris Paul on a Suns team that is fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record.
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However, the Nets were doing well, going 32-22. And they were winning games even without Durant, who sprained his MCL and hadn’t played since early January.
Still, Durant was named an All-Star starter after dropping 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game in 39 contests this season. Phoenix hopes to utilize that scoring force alongside Booker, Paul and Deandre Ayton, who stays with the Suns despite being mentioned in trade rumors.
Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets warms up before the NBA playoff game against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY on April 25, 2022. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Durant and Irving were a global deal in 2019 when they both signed with Brooklyn. James Harden was added later, creating a three-headed monster, or so the Nets thought.
Instead, the three of them barely played together. Harden was finally traded, at his request, last year to the Philadelphia 76ers. Ben Simmons was part of that trade, but he hasn’t been his previous All-Star self in Brooklyn.
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Now Irving and Durant move on. The Nets failed to get past the second round of the playoffs during the four seasons that Durant and Irving were part of the organization.
