Kevin Durant trade: Suns add former MVP for Bridges, Johnson, Crowder and four first-round picks, per report

The Phoenix Suns are closing in on a trade to land 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. The Suns will send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap to Brooklyn for Durant and T.J. Warren. Durant had previously asked for a trade during the offseason, but at the time, the Nets did not find a deal for him. He eventually agreed to rejoin the team. The Suns, at that point, were Durant's preferred destination.

For most of the season, this sort of trade appeared to be unthinkable. The Nets looked like a championship contender after a bumpy start, going 18-2 in Durant's last 20 Healthy Games. Phoenix, meanwhile, hovered around .500 for much of the season while dealing with injuries to Chris Paul and Devin Booker. They've righted the ship in recent Games, however, while Brooklyn has gone the other direction.

Kyrie Irving requested a trade after contract extension talks with the Nets fell apart last week. He was quickly granted his wish and sent to the Dallas Mavericks. This seemingly kick-started negotiations between the Nets and Suns. Without Irving, Brooklyn was likely out of the championship race. That forced them to reconsider trading Durant, and Phoenix swooped in to make a deal.

Now the Suns have one of the most explosive scoring duos in the league in Booker and Durant. Chris Paul remains to act as a floor general, and the Suns still have Deandre Ayton to serve as their center and defensive anchor. Reacquiring Warren, who started his career with the Suns, gives them a bit of forward depth to replace what they lost in the trade, and the Suns will likely be among the most desirable destinations on the buyout market.

Brooklyn, meanwhile, enters a period of great uncertainty. In less than a year, they have now traded Durant, Irving and James Harden. Houston controls their first-round picks for the next five years. While they have quite a bit of veteran talent, Cam Thomas and Nic Claxton are the only young players with significant upside. Sean Marks has rebuilt this team under far worse circumstances. The Nets overcame sending Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to Boston. Now he'll have to rebuild them again, but this time with the knowledge of what went wrong with his first super team. Now Phoenix is the super team, and unless someone makes a major trade to compete with them before Thursday's deadline, the Suns appear to be the new favorites in the Western Conference. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alzheimer's may be caused by immune cells thinking brain cells are bacteria, expert says

Image
The pursuit of a cure for Alzheimer's disease is becoming an increasingly competitive and contentious quest with recent years witnessing several important controversies. In July 2022, Science magazine reported that a key 2006 research paper, published in the prestigious journal Nature, which identified a subtype of brain protein called beta-amyloid as the cause of Alzheimer's, may have been based on fabricated data. One year earlier, in June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved aducanumab, an antibody-targeting beta-amyloid, as a treatment for Alzheimer's, even though the data supporting its use were incomplete and contradictory. Some physicians believe aducanumab never should have been approved, while others maintain it should be given a chance. With millions of people needing an effective treatment, why are researchers still fumbling in this quest for a cure for what is arguably one of the most important diseases confronting humankind? Esc...
Read more

Poetry at Work Day (January 9th, 2024)

Image
Quick facts When is it? January 14th, 2014 January 13th, 2015 January 12th, 2016 January 12th, 2017 January 9th, 2018 January 8th, 2019 January 14th, 2020 January 12th, 2021 January 11th, 2022 January 10th, 2023 January 9th, 2024 January 14th, 2025 What's the date pattern? Second Tuesday in January Tagged as Hobbies & Activities Poetry What's the hashtag? #PoetryatWorkDay Have we missed something? Fancy yourself as the next Keats, Wordsworth or Shakespeare? Poetry at Work Day is a chance to let those creative talents shine. Poetry at Work Day is a chance to let your creative juices flow and see the beauty in what you do. Whether you spend your days teaching children, tending to poorly patients or closing deals, there’s inspiration all around. Many of us struggle to find the time to exercise our brains in a creative manner, and this is an opportunity to feel free and to put thoughts, ideas, opinions and feelings down on paper. From aspiring writers to p...
Read more

Your heart changes in size and shape with exercise – this can lead to heart problems for some athletes and gym rats

Exercise has long been recognized by clinicians, scientists and public health officials as an important way to maintain health throughout a person’s lifespan. It improves overall fitness, helps build strong muscles and bones, reduces the risk of chronic disease, improves mood and slows physical decline. Exercise can also significantly reduce the risk of developing conditions that negatively affect heart heath, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity. But large amounts of exercise throughout life may also harm the heart, leading to the development of a condition called athletic heart. As the Sports cardiology director at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, I’m often asked how much and what kind of exercise is necessary to get the benefits of exercise . Many people also wonder about the risks of exercise , and what happens if you exercise too much. The American Heart Association generally recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercis...
Read more