The Brooklyn Nets have traded superstar forward Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN, the Nets also sent veteran forward T.J. Warren to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 pick swap. They’ll get unprotected picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029.
After James Harden engineered a trade to Philadelphia at last year’s trade deadline and Kyrie Irving demanded a move last week and was dealt to Dallas, Durant is the third player to force his way out of Brooklyn in less than a year. The Nets’ once-fabled big three is down to zero.
This move had been bubbling since Irving—who arrived with Durant as a package deal in 2019—demanded a trade on February 3 and was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks two days later. But the seeds were sown during last season’s disappointing campaign, which ended in a first-round playoff sweep by the Boston Celtics.
Durant, 34, has three years and $153 million left on his contract after this season. The former league MVP attended the Nets’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night in Brooklyn but did not answer reporters’ questions on his way out of Barclays Center.
Irving, who scored 24 points against the Clippers in his debut with the Mavericks Wednesday night, reacted to the trade after the game, saying he was praying for Durant’s “happiness and praying for his well-being.”
Apologies, shot several Irving videos, THIS is his reaction to the Durant trade. pic.twitter.com/PF3fri4hmf
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 9, 2023
“This business changes so quickly. He’s getting a little bit older, I’m getting a little bit older, I just love the competition now that we can be in the same conference,” Irving said. “I welcome all that. Get to see him a little bit more, probably playing against Phoenix a lot more. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Everything else and in between, I just, I’m glad that he got out of there.”
More Irving. pic.twitter.com/3WTDXmrBVT
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 9, 2023
According to ESPN, Durant is the first former MVP to play for the Suns since Steve Nash’s last season with the team in 2011-12.
