I Don’t Know What to Make of the Kevin Durant Trade
After much speculation about his future, the Phoenix Suns and their new owner traded heaven and earth for Kevin Durant. Now what?
Uh……….what????? In the middle of the night, with the trade deadline still hours away, we got one of the biggest bombshells in recent memory. Kevin Durant, a top-five player in the world, is heading to the Phoenix Suns! What the f****???!!!???!!!?!??!?!?
As I try to gather my very scrambled (and tired) thoughts, let’s try and make sense of this trade…if we can. {Reaches for the inhaler!}
The Trade
Suns Receive: Kevin Durant / TJ Warren
Nets Receive: Mikal Bridges / Cam Johnson / Jae Crowder / 2023, 25, 27, and 29 Unprotected FRP, 2028 First-Round Pick Swap
Contract Notes
- Kevin Durant (34): 4 years / $194.2 million
- TJ Warren: Expiring
- Mikal Bridges: 4 years / $90.9 million
- Cam Johnson: RFA this summer
- Jae Crowder: Expiring and expected to be traded again before the deadline
Mat Ishbia and the Suns Are Going For It
[Tries To Catch Breath]
For the past few weeks, there have been reports of new Suns owner Mat Ishbia trying to make a splash when he took over. Like Alex Rodriguez in Minnesota this past offseason, Ishbia didn’t want to shell out $4 billion for a majority stake in a pro basketball team. Nope, that’s not enough for him. He wanted to really put his foot on the table and make a statement.
In his introductory press conference, Ishbia was very vague. He pointed out that the Suns had a championship-caliber team as is. Suns’ leadership would try to improve the team, but they would not sacrifice their future to do so. Oh, Mat, you son of a gun.
Instead of making a splash, Ishbia created a tsunami. Trade talks with Durant had reportedly stalled and Phoenix was looking at other options involving the Pistons, or Atlanta’s John Collins. But, Phoenix wouldn’t budge. And, in the end, they worked out the small kinks holding back the deal and did the unthinkable. Even in an era where superstars move frequently, it’s one of the most shocking trades…ever.
Kevin Durant is 34 years old and still in the prime of his career. This is the biggest and most consequential trade in franchise history (sorry, Charles). Sure, his freak-accident knee injuries and overall health are a little concerning. But when he’s on the court, you can’t question his greatness.
Durant can score from all three levels, play on or off the ball, and defend. He’s shown no signs of slowing down, even in his mid-30s. The Suns gave up a lot in this trade, but they have Kevin Durant on their team. That’s worth it in my book. Phoenix is a team that doesn’t value draft capital very much. They’re ok with shelling out five future firsts in this deal.
Chris Paul showed his first signs of decline this season. Phoenix was so concerned they offered him to try and get Kyrie Irving last week (what an alternate universe that would’ve been, huh?). Phoenix’s title window was closing. Even with a solid supporting cast around CP-3, nobody viewed Phoenix as serious title contenders. A duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker flanking Paul silences those concerns. The burden on Paul is much less than it was before.
Paul can now do what he does best: set the table for others, bother opposing point guards, and knock down open shots when he needs to. He can do that. Losing Bridges and Johnson is a big loss for Phoenix. Both of those guys have been important pieces in this new era of winning. But, Phoenix saw an opportunity to get Kevin Durant, and they took it.
The Booker/Durant dynamic is an interesting one. With Paul, Booker learned how to be more methodical and pick his spots. Booker has done a fantastic job in this Suns era with Chris Paul to defer when he needs to, take over down the stretch, play stout defense, and fit in however his team needs him to. He’s become a complete basketball player when the stakes and expectations got raised significantly.
Durant gained a similar experience in Golden State. Both guys are alphas, but I can’t imagine they’ll have problems playing off of one another. Phoenix’s offense features lots of pick-and-rolls and passing. How are defenses supposed to stop three of the best mid-range scorers the league has ever seen?
This is what the Suns’ starting lineup now looks like;
Chris Paul
Devin Booker
Kevin Durant
Torrey Craig
Deandre Ayton
That’s pretty fuckin’ scary, man. For the moment, I will gloss over concerns about Phoenix’s lack of a wing defender. Or how Kevin Durant remains volatile. But one thing is clear. Kevin Durant is going to back the super team formula that worked so well for him in Golden State, and the Suns are doing everything to secure their franchise’s first title.
Grade: A
Should The Nets Have Torn Everything Down?
[Hands on knees, panting…]
This time last week, the Nets were trying to survive without Kevin Durant and hold onto playoff position in the East. And then Kyrie Irving asked out and got his wish. After that, there were rumors that Durant would ask out this summer. In my reaction to the Irving trade, I wondered if the Nets would make more moves to try and appease Durant — to get him to stay.
Instead, Sean Marks and the Nets hit the ultimate reset button. At last year’s deadline, they had Durant, Irving, and Harden. Now, all three of those guys are gone. It’s one of the biggest failures in league history. Nothing compares to the roller coaster the Nets have been on over the past 2-3 seasons.
Brooklyn now all but recoups the value they gave up in the Harden deal. The Nets have unprotected picks from Phoenix that span the decade, including unprotected firsts in 2027 and 2029. There’s no telling how valuable those could become. Brooklyn already got Dallas’ 2029 unprotected first-rounder when they traded Irving last week.
But, what’s next?
That’s an appropriate question for the Nets. Right now, Brooklyn has a lot of good players but no real direction. Mikal Bridges is one of the best young two-way wings in the league, and his contract is highway robbery. Cam Johnson is entering restricted free agency this summer, and he’s one of the best shooters in the league. Will the Nets re-sign him?
For the rest of the season, the Nets should remain competitive. It’s hard for me to see them missing the playoffs entirely. Cam Thomas’ scoring explosion, plus enough wings to stretch around the sun is enough to be semi-good for the time being.
But looking into the future, will the Nets go young, trade everybody, and start from scratch? That seems like what they’re gearing up to do. They tried the superstar rout, and it got them seven playoff wins. Now, they’re going to rebuild more traditionally.
The Nets wanted to avoid whatever fate was coming to them in the offseason. Without Irving, I don’t think there was a world where they could have convinced Durant to stay. In that sense, getting this amount of return seems like the only logical thing they could have done.
For better or worse, the Nets tried to make this super team concept work. They’ve endured so many headaches and trade demands. This trade epitomizes one of the crazier eras in NBA history, and it also symbolizes its end.
Grade: B
The Houston Rockets Are Sneaky Winners
[Respirator time]
Something finally went right for the Houston Rockets. Since trading Harden, the Rockets have been rebuilding in ugly fashion. This season, things have stalled out on them. Looking back at what they got for Harden, all the Rockets got were picks, not players. So, they were betting on the Nets being bad for them to progress into the future.
It was a dangerous bet and one that looked to be failing this season. Brooklyn finally appeared to be turning a corner of sorts. But, in just one week, Brooklyn’s franchise outlook looks completely different. A rebuild seems eminent, so all those unprotected Nets picks hold much more value.
For a minute there, it looked like the Rockets were going to regret not trading Harden for more promising young talent. And I think they still regret that. But, this is a great break for Houston. In theory, they’ll get more chances to draft superstar talent.
Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green are good building blocks. But, the Rockets need much more than that. Their rebuild needs structure, better coaching, and a cohesive plan. If the Nets are rebuilding, then the Rockets can start making that plan a reality.
What are your thoughts on the Durant trade? Leave a Comment Down Below!
Follow My Instagram & Facebook To Never Miss a Post: @hoopnotions
