Getty Image / Jonathan Bachman
In one of the biggest trade deadline trades in all of sports, the Phoenix Suns acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster deal just after midnight on the East Coast Thursday. It’s a deal that could impact the league for years to come.
Make no mistake, the Phoenix Suns are now the favorite to win the Western Conference. Their big four of Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Devin Booker is probably the best quartet in the league.
Now, the Suns gave a lot up, too, and the Nets have reloaded for their future as they move on completely from the Harden-Durant-Irving era.
The Suns are sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, a 2028 pick swap for Durant and TJ Warren, sources tell ESPN. Durant wanted move and new owner Mat Ishbia pushed to get deal done tonight. https://t.co/fqFUMIDllo
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
Nets gets unprotected picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
ESPN Insider Adrian Wojnarowski is a man that never sleeps, and he provided more context on the trade in the middle of the night.
ESPN story on the Suns landing Kevin Durant — and how the night and negotiations unfolded https://t.co/ZmQPdki3HS
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
In a deal that landed in the late-night hours ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, Durant and T.J. Warren were shuttled to the Suns for a massive haul of first-round draft picks (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and a 2028 pick swap, sources said.
Talks had progressed and stalled, and the Suns appeared to be pivoting toward a three-way deal that might’ve landed them Atlanta’s John Collins sometime Thursday morning, sources said. On the direction of his new owner, Mat Ishbia, general manager James Jones texted Nets GM Sean Marks sometime after 11 p.m. ET — and it wouldn’t be long until Ishbia and Nets owner Joe Tsai had cobbled together the final elements of the blockbuster trade, sources said.
Wow. It sounds like the deal came together really quickly. There’s no doubt it’s a trade that can effect the NBA for years to come.