The Brooklyn Nets are trading Kevin Durant to Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster deal.
The Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns for a package including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks, and additional draft compensation, league sources tell @TheAthletic
The Nets have decided it is better to start fresh than deal with Kevin Durant pulling a Kyrie Irving and demanding a trade every year.
I am surprised they didn’t ask for Chris Paul as well, but they likely don’t want an aging, expensive player on the team.
Even more surprising is the Suns didn’t have to give up Devin Booker or DeAndre Ayton. Having Booker, CP3, Ayton, and Kevin Durant on the team makes them immediate championship contenders if they are healthy.
That is a big IF because Booker, CP3, and Durant have all been injury prone the last few years.
When Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving made plans at the All-Star game to team up, it looked like the Nets were going to be on their way to championship contender status. Once they added James Harden, it just seemed to be a matter of time before they hoisted the trophy, but it never happened.
In the end, both Kyrie and KD end up in the Western Conference and better situations.
The Nets, I am not sure where they go from here. They struggled with attendance when they had KD and Kyrie, and now two of the most popular NBA players are gone.
It might be a long time before they can again get two top 10 players on the same roster.
I know LeBron is furious about this. Even with the trading for D’Angelo Russell, it doesn’t look like they have the horses for a Finals run, but we shall see.
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