On Wednesday night, the Phoenix Suns pulled a midnight blockbuster and traded for 13-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. In exchange, the Suns will send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 first-round pick swap to Brooklyn.
It’s a trade that will shock fans in the building and around the league, but it’s one that has to be considered if the Suns hope to contend for a championship this season or beyond. For a while, Durant thought he was stuck.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets retooled their roster Thursday with a huge trade. The team has agreed to send Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
In return, the Suns will get Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson plus four first-round picks. It’s a blockbuster deal that gives new owner Mat Ishbia immediate impact and makes the Suns a more serious contender with the emergence of Durant on the team.
After the Nets traded Kyrie Irving to Dallas, there were rumblings that KD would be interested in joining the Suns. But his decision to rescind his request was a sign that he didn’t like the direction of the organization and wanted to be a part of something more.
He’s still among the best players in the NBA and the addition of Bridges to the group along with Johnson, a three-point specialist, provides more depth at the power forward spot. Furthermore, it fortifies an already formidable young foundation, adding Defensive Player of the Year hopeful Nic Claxton and former Linsanity sensation Cam Thomas to the mix.
Mikal Bridges
The Phoenix Suns traded Mikal Bridges to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday as part of the deal for Kevin Durant. The Suns also sent Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks to the Nets in the deal.
The deal was a big one for the Suns, who were able to take on a huge amount of cap space while also adding the talent that they needed to make a deep playoff run this season. It came at a significant cost, though.
Bridges is one of the most important players on the Suns roster and he had been averaging career bests in points per game (17.2), assists per game (3.6) and rebounds per game (4.3). He is also playing well as an outside defender, limiting opponents to 37 percent three-point shooting this season.
Jae Crowder
As the NBA trade deadline approaches, there are reports that Jae Crowder could be traded. The 32-year-old has sat out the entire season and has been linked to several teams.
The Milwaukee Bucks are among a handful of teams that would be interested in Crowder, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The Bucks have allowed the Suns to visit with them, but they are currently seeking a third team to involve in a trade that would send Crowder to Milwaukee.
However, there is a good chance that the Bucks will give up at least one first-round pick to make the deal work. In fact, the Houston Rockets are reportedly unhappy with the offer, as they would rather receive multiple second-round picks in return for Crowder than just a single first-rounder.
The Nets have also been reported to be in trade discussions for the disgruntled veteran. It would be a huge surprise if Crowder doesn’t get moved over the next 48 hours.
TJ Warren
The Western Conference has been thrown into a frenzy with the recent revelation that Kevin Durant has been traded to the Phoenix Suns. In exchange, the Brooklyn Nets have acquired Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and a remarkable haul of four first-round picks. New owner Mat Ishbia made the move to shake things up with a trade that would help the Suns take a big step forward as a contender in 2021-22.
It was a good fit for both teams and makes sense as a rebuild. The Suns now have the deadly scoring duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, while Warren adds some forward depth.
The Suns are already in the fifth spot in the Western Conference and could very well find themselves in a top-three seed if Durant is healthy. This is an exciting time in the Suns’ rebuild, especially with the addition of Durant and a strong supporting cast.
