Kevin Durant

The Nets are set to receive a package of players and first-round picks for Durant, just days after trading away Kyrie Irving.

The deal to trade Durant came a day after the N.B.A. The Nets added Durant and Irving in the summer of 2019, expecting the two of them to lead the franchise to a championship — or maybe several championships with a little luck. The Nets never advanced past the Eastern Conference semifinals during Irving and Durant’s time on the team. The team acquired guard James Harden from the Houston Rockets in January 2021 to create a superteam so talented some wondered if it was the greatest team in N.B.A. In exchange for Durant, the Nets will receive the forwards Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder, along with four first-round draft picks and the right to swap another first-round pick. “We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like,” Irving said of Durant.

The Suns are trading Jae Crowder to the Nets as part of the deal, league sources said.

Durant, [Devin Booker](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/devin-booker-4wodYWTaBEfNXJjo/), [Chris Paul](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/chris-paul-T2sfGOMEeDjjOrJH/) and [Deandre Ayton](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/deandre-ayton-PlF5bckQOtrRhpgu/) give the Suns a championship core. [Kyrie Irving](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD/), who was traded on Monday to the [Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/). Ishbia wants to win, and he wants to win now. He was named the league’s MVP in 2014, when he was the top scorer with the [Thunder](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/thunder/). [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/)’s top shooters and Bridges was among the league’s top defenders. Durant, 34, and the Nets organization announced on Aug.

The Phoenix Suns have traded for Kevin Durant. It's the biggest transaction in franchise history. Will it get them their first championship?

The cost was Jones ditching his core philosophical belief around the construction of a roster, predominantly built with an emphasis on depth and balance. And when it comes to utilizing this when it matters, Durant is a two-time NBA champion and won Finals MVP with both rings. Yes, I know the shock of his happening is still wearing off you and you think that is a typo probably. Durant will become the best basketball player to put on a Suns jersey over the franchise’s 50-plus years of existence once he dons the purple and orange. The first one featured him outplaying LeBron James at the peak of the king’s powers and the second was a rather uneventful sweep the next year. Durant is the best scorer the game has ever seen. At (a listed) 6-foot-10, Durant’s previously unseen amount of silky skill and talent with his size allows him to get his shot off at any time from any angle on any spot of the floor. If we assemble the 167 times in league history a player has posted at least 28 points a night, Durant’s 67.3 TS% will rank first if it holds, Are you willing to add risk to the equation and better your odds of reaching the end goal? Selling the long term for the short term seems shortsighted when the best two-guard in the world doesn’t even have half of the chapters in his NBA career written yet. It is now or never for the title window with Paul. It is the Suns audibling on their promising future for an even more promising, albeit shorter, present.

The Brooklyn Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster move, league sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports.

The Suns pulled a midnight blockbuster on Wednesday, acquiring 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant from the Nets, according to multiple reports.

They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. The trade comes just hours after new Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia was introduced in Phoenix.

In a move that changes the NBA, the Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Suns for a massive haul of players and draft picks.

The Nets acquired Durant, Irving and James Harden and hired Steve Nash in 2020 as coach. The Nets had not released a timetable for his return prior to trading him. The Suns will be getting Durant – a 13-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP – and forward T.J. He was hoping to return for the All-Star Game but that will not happen. The deal will send Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks to the Nets, in addition to a pick swap in 2028. Moving Durant marks a hard reset for Brooklyn, which is now set to receive Phoenix's first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029.

Hours after Mat Ishbia took over as owner of the Phoenix Suns, the team made a stunning acquisition, getting star forward Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn ...

As he heads to the eighth team in his NBA career, he has averages of 9.6 points and 4.3 rebounds. Warren, 29, played in just 20 games for the Nets after recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him all of last season. Durant, 34, won two NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, won the NBA Most Valuable Player honor in 2013-14 and is a 13-time All-Star. Irving demanded a trade last week, then was dealt to the Mavericks on Monday, and now Durant is gone, too. When James Harden was acquired in a trade in February 2022, the Nets were viewed as a top contender, but injuries and Irving's various off-court issues scuttled those hopes. The Suns add Durant to an underachieving squad that sits at 30-26, tied for fourth place in the Western Conference.

The Nets reportedly will receive Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, 4 first-round draft picks and a pick swap for Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren.

They also played in the Finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. “We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like,” Irving said. The Suns made the Finals two seasons ago, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. Irving scored 24 points in his Mavs debut against the Clippers on Wednesday. The trade comes just hours after new Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia was introduced in Phoenix.

PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns pulled a midnight blockbuster on Wednesday, acquiring 13-time All-Star Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, according to ...

The Brooklyn Nets traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns, sending several young players and future draft picks back to Brooklyn for the 13-time All Star, ...

Durant signed with the Nets alongside fellow star Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019, and Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season due to an achilles injury. Despite sky-high expectations, the Nets never reached a conference, let alone NBA, finals with Durant and Irving, as Durant battled injuries and Irving struggled to stay off the court due to a variety of off-court incidents, including a 2021 suspension over his refusal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine and a suspension earlier this season for promoting antisemitic conspiracies.The Nets traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week. Durant will join All-NBA guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker with the Suns, who are now the odds-on favorite to win the Western Conference. Warren, according to [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35620592/phoenix-suns-acquiring-kevin-durant-blockbuster-deal-brooklyn-nets)’s Adrian Wojnarowski and the [Athletic](https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nba-trade-deadline-latest-news/RiRGvr8UglN4/)’s Shams Charania, while the Nets also received the right to swap 2028 first round picks with the Suns as a cherry on top. [several](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35620592/phoenix-suns-acquiring-kevin-durant-blockbuster-deal-brooklyn-nets) [outlets](https://theathletic.com/live-blogs/nba-trade-deadline-latest-news/RiRGvr8UglN4/) reported early Thursday— capping Durant’s four-season tenure with the Nets that failed to deliver on the hype but swelled the four-time champion’s pockets.

When news broke this past offseason that Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant reportedly requested a trade, the Phoenix Suns made sense as a landing spot ...

“I remember I told KD, ‘man, this is one of the only times in your career where you get to pick and choose where you want to play and where you want to live. “But Phoenix, Phoenix is the one I love a lot. I like Denver a lot, it’s super chill.” Four years later, they would be teammates on Team USA and win a gold medal together in the Tokyo Olympics. Booker, through his first two seasons in the NBA at that point, was Durant’s pick. “And I was like, ‘Alright.’” Warren are reportedly on the way to the Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, plus a pick swap. I like Phoenix, Scottsdale area is dope. You get the ability to choose,” Paul told USA TODAY Sports. From there, it turned out Durant really did have an interest in Phoenix as a potential destination. Said Booker's performance last night showed he's an all-around player who is only getting better. KD spoke highly of [@DevinBook] [https://t.co/KQzfotct2u]…

The Suns will send Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation to the Nets for Durant, ...

But it seems impossible to replace the firepower they lost with Durant and Irving, two All-Star starters. Bridges was the runner-up to Boston's Marcus Smart last season for the Defensive Player of the Year award and his offensive game continues to grow. "We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like," Irving said. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. James Harden was traded at last year's deadline, leaving the Nets with little to show for the brief time they had the Big Three together.

The acquisition of D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt is the Lakers' major attempt to fix the Russell Westbrook trade — and their ...

The Suns were +1800 to win the title heading into the final day before the trade deadline. By Thursday, it was +460, according to FanDuel.

Phoenix is now the Western Conference favorite at +200 to Denver’s +300. [According to Bet Arizona](https://www.betarizona.com/news/kevin-durant-suns-with-biggest-odds-shift-at-nba-trade-deadline), this was the largest NBA trade deadline odds shift since at least 2010. Those two squads have records of 39-16 and 37-17, respectively. From there, the odds take a dip in favor for the Denver Nuggets (+700), Los Angeles Clippers (+1300) and Philadelphia 76ers (+1400) In terms of title odds, the trade puts the Suns behind only the Boston Celtics (+280) and Milwaukee Bucks (+420). [The Suns were +1800 to win the title](https://twitter.com/CPBetting/status/1623583234679529473?) heading into the final day before the trade deadline.

The Suns will send Cam Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation to the Nets for Durant, ...

But it seems impossible to replace the firepower they lost with Durant and Irving, two All-Star starters. Bridges was the runner-up to Boston's Marcus Smart last season for the Defensive Player of the Year award and his offensive game continues to grow. "We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like," Irving said. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993. They jumped to fifth in the Western Conference with a 30-26 record. James Harden was traded at last year's deadline, leaving the Nets with little to show for the brief time they had the Big Three together.

The Phoenix Suns targeted Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins in a trade before the Brooklyn Nets agreed to trade them Kevin Durant.

Anunoby was discussed — to put a defensively impressive core around Durant, the star had become “unsettled” and had Phoenix atop his list of landing spots. Among the late subtractions during the trade talks was Dario Saric, who heading into deadline day remains with Phoenix on a $9.2 million expiring contract. Those discussions had come to a halt, but Wojnarowski reports that Ishbia late Wednesday pushed Suns president of basketball ops and GM James Jones to connect with Nets general manager Sean Marks sometime after 9 p.m. Phoenix had also engaged with Brooklyn regarding Durant on Monday and Tuesday before the trade deadline scheduled for 1 p.m. Brooklyn felt pressure to deal Durant, according to Wojnarowski’s report. It was KD or minor moves to support the Suns core.

The star forward was meant to be the cornerstone of Joe Tsai's Brooklyn Nets, but now he'll join the Phoenix Suns and new owner Mat Ishbia.

The blockbuster trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets has shaken up the odds to win the NBA championship.

“Kevin Durant is coming off an injury, we expect him to be fine shortly after the All-Star break,” Legler said. “Devin Booker just came back, so this is not going to be seamless. [blockbuster trade](https://www.nj.com/sports/2023/02/nets-trade-kevin-durant-in-deadline-blockbuster.html) that sent Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets has shaken up the odds to win the NBA championship. Phoenix (30-26) is tied for the fourth seed in the West with the Dallas Mavericks, who just He is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists. The Boston Celtics are the favorite at 3/1, while the Denver Nuggets are at 6.5/1.

The newly acquired All-Star started out strong in his first Mavs game, but also had thoughts on his former teammate's move from Brooklyn.

He tries to play the game the right way by moving and setting screens for his teammates,” Kidd said. “It was pretty easy to tell what he was going after when I was playing with him. “The beauty of Kai is he is all about winning. Irving said he followed the same approach when he played with other star players, including Durant and LeBron James. “I don’t want to force anything on him or do anything that is out of my norm.” He played that tonight with his teammates.” Some of Irving’s teammates said they felt the same way after he told them during Tuesday’s practice and Wednesday’s shootaround “to have fun.” The rest of the Mavericks starting lineup also scored in double figures, including Tim Hardaway Jr. Irving experienced what he called a “long 96 hours” that included little sleep and lots of packing after the Brooklyn Nets “It felt like he’s been here for a while.” “He works on his craft. “I’m just praying for his happiness and praying for his well-being. We’ve just tried to understand each other a lot and grow as human beings and grow as brothers.”

The NBA trade deadline has been a whirlwind for fans, so let's recap a crazy 24 hours around the association ahead of the 1 p.m. MST cutoff.

He’s also obviously going to take stuff off LeBron James and adds insurance if the all-time points leader or Anthony Davis get hurt. Lowkey, the Warren throw-in is super necessary because Phoenix lost those wings. The cost is high, but the window that’s open to go at an NBA Finals appearance this year makes it a risk worth taking. Chris Paul and Kevin Durant might be fragile, but having them take a backseat if necessary to let Devin Booker cook could be good for everyone. Though Hart could do the scoring deal a little bit. Bey is one of those Villanova guys that just knows how to play ball. They rerouted Knox and the picks to reacquired Gary Payton II, who was huge for Golden State in its NBA Finals run a year ago. As for the other bits of this, Gordon returns to familiar ground to help a Los Angeles team that just got some backcourt JUICE with Gordon and Bones Hyland in tow. At least he’ll be out on the free market to attempt another run with a contender. Hey, it’s like everyone out West is planning for a showdown with a likely MVP from Denver. Injuries have kept Gary Payton II to only 14 games played in a limited role. since sleeping through the initial shockwave of the Durant deal — we’re considering only trades from Wednesday and the 24 hours leading up to 1 p.m.

Fans, fellow NBA athletes and the mayor of Phoenix all took to social media to voice their reactions. "That is insane," one fan, Joe Brooks, told NPR.

For those that want one, the NBA will send a free placement to customers who purchased a jersey shortly after a player switched teams, [per its store policy.](https://store.nba.com/jersey-assurance/x-143713+z-91829756-2442190644) But not everyone is upset by the news: Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego shared her approval of the trade. "Can't even go to sleep early anymore this time of the year," C.J. The Suns will be the fourth NBA franchise for the 34-year-old Durant, who previously played for the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder and the Golden State Warriors. [to the Dallas Mavericks. The Brooklyn Nets traded Durant, along with forward, T.J.

Kyrie Irving said he is "glad" that Kevin Durant "got out of there" just minutes after ESPN reported the Nets had agreed to trade the former NBA MVP to the ...

I would have liked to see that work for the long term, but there are no mistakes and no coincidences and you gotta move forward. Initially hailed as the core of a superteam that would contend for multiple NBA championships, the trio of Irving, Durant and Harden played just 16 games together in Brooklyn. "I think I would like to say something about the superteam of me, James and KD that everyone thinks should have worked. "We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like. I'm getting a little bit older. "He's getting a little bit older.

The Phoenix Suns are closing in on a trade to land 2014 NBA MVP Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, for a bevy of players and draft picks, CBS Sports NBA ...

If you need shooting, the Nets would probably happily trade you either [Seth Curry](/nba/players/2089523/seth-curry/) or [Joe Harris](/nba/players/2135535/joe-harris/). The Nets overcame sending Boston the picks that became [Jayson Tatum](/nba/players/2268018/jayson-tatum/) and [Jaylen Brown](/nba/players/2202365/jaylen-brown/). As important as [Spencer Dinwiddie](/nba/players/2135526/spencer-dinwiddie/) was to Brooklyn's last rebuild, the Nets probably aren't attached enough yet to keep him through this one. [Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/) were seemingly willing to offer? Brooklyn just swiped 3-and-D star [Dorian Finney-Smith](/nba/players/2248003/dorian-finney-smith/) from the Mavericks in the Irving deal. [Chris Paul](/nba/players/555969/chris-paul/) and [Devin Booker](/nba/players/2152529/devin-booker/). The Suns will send [Mikal Bridges](/nba/players/2153056/mikal-bridges/), [Cameron Johnson](/nba/players/2152772/cameron-johnson/), [Jae Crowder](/nba/players/1992784/jae-crowder/), four unprotected first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap to Brooklyn for Durant and [T.J. [Landry Shamet](/nba/players/2203585/landry-shamet/)? [Torrey Craig](/nba/players/2861655/torrey-craig/)? [Phoenix Suns](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/PHO/phoenix-suns/) are closing in on a trade to land 2014 [NBA](/nba/) MVP [Kevin Durant](/nba/players/1231866/kevin-durant/) from the Brooklyn Nets, for a bevy of players and draft picks, CBS Sports NBA Insider Bill Reiter has confirmed. Chris Paul remains to act as a floor general, and the Suns still have For most of the season, this sort of trade appeared to be unthinkable.

Kyrie Irving said he is "glad" that Kevin Durant "got out of there" just minutes after ESPN reported the Nets had agreed to trade the former NBA MVP to the ...

I would have liked to see that work for the long term, but there are no mistakes and no coincidences and you gotta move forward. Initially hailed as the core of a superteam that would contend for multiple NBA championships, the trio of Irving, Durant and Harden played just 16 games together in Brooklyn. "I think I would like to say something about the superteam of me, James and KD that everyone thinks should have worked. "We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like. I'm getting a little bit older. "He's getting a little bit older.

Here is a timeline of the Durant era in Brooklyn.

The Phoenix Suns made one of their biggest moves in franchise history by reportedly bringing Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant to the Valley with a deal ...

With Durant, the Suns can realistically dream of an NBA championship this season. (It also may make it easier for Phoenix to move on from Paul this summer.) Now imagine what he is able to do with Durant causing sheer panic for the opponent. He’s become a complete basketball player when the stakes and expectations got raised significantly. Signed by Brooklyn for the veterans minimum after missing nearly two full seasons because of a stress fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot, Warren has been quietly solid in limited minutes and will help fill out the Suns’ frontcourt rotation. I’m burying the lede by waiting this long to talk about Durant’s impact.

Kyrie Irving has blasted Brooklyn Nets after trade of Kevin Durant to Phoenix Suns.

[Brooklyn Nets](/topic/brooklyn-nets)made a deal to send Kevin [Durant](/topic/durant)to the [Phoenix Suns](/topic/phoenix-suns)shortly after his departure has revealed a lot. The Brooklyn Nets have had a difficult time in recent years, a franchise in dire need of success after assembling two 'super-teams' that have been huge disappointments. Irving spoke about the 'super-team' he formed with Durant and James Harden, who was also traded away following a tumultuous period with the team. As a result, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night, and in both moves, the Nets obtained several first-round draft picks and young players. During his first game with the Mavericks, Irving learned of Durant's trade, and was later questioned about it after the game. However, what transpired were several years of disappointment, as both players battled with injuries, particularly Irving who missed a substantial amount of time, and the team was plagued by high-profile trade failures.

André Snellings and Eric Moody break down what the trades of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook mean from a fantasy perspective, and look at the other ...

[Josh Hart](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3062679/josh-hart) joins the Knicks and is reunited with former Villanova teammate [Jalen Brunson](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3934672/jalen-brunson) in New York. If you recall, he was traded from the Raptors to the Spurs in 2018 as part of the [Kawhi Leonard](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6450/kawhi-leonard) trade. [Cameron Payne](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3064230/cameron-payne), [Landry Shamet](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3914044/landry-shamet), [T.J. [Lonzo Ball](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4066421/lonzo-ball) this season due to a knee injury that has kept him off the court since Jan. The veteran out of Ohio State has averaged 7.7 APG, a career high, and Gobert set an on-ball screen for Conley 21.9 times per game last season, second only to [Chris Paul](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/2779/chris-paul) and [Deandre Ayton](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/4278129/deandre-ayton). [Kyrie Irving](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/6442/kyrie-irving) moving to the [Dallas Mavericks](/nba/team/_/name/dal/dallas-mavericks) earlier in the week and [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant) and [Russell Westbrook](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3468/russell-westbrook) both dealt on Wednesday. [Rudy Gobert](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3032976/rudy-gobert) in Minnesota and should slot into the starting point guard role. [Kevin Durant](https://www.espn.com/nba/player/_/id/3202/kevin-durant), [T.J. O'Neale and Finney-Smith are role players both in the NBA and in fantasy, but Johnson still has achievable upside with his ability to knock down shots. None of the other Nets are high-usage guys, and in fact their frontcourt is comprised almost entirely of defense-first players that can either stretch the floor or finish at the rim but that don't create for themselves. Ayton could be the Suns player that sees the biggest drop in his fantasy status with this move. For the second time in half-a-week, we're in this space talking about the Nets giving up an All-NBA player for a package of productive younger players and draft picks.

In Kyrie Irving's mind, setting ablaze the fabric of the Nets was beyond his control. In reality, Brooklyn's gravest mistake was holding Irving accountable.

Kevin Durant leaves the Brooklyn Nets just two days after the organisation traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks; Durant joins Devin Booker and Chris ...

He was averaging 29.7 points and shooting a career-high 55.9% from the field when he was hurt Jan. Bridges was the runner-up to Boston's Marcus Smart last season for the Defensive Player of the Year award and his offensive game continues to grow. He was moved just days after the Nets traded Kyrie Irving from Dallas, a stunningly fast end to the superstar era in Brooklyn. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993. The Suns made the NBA Finals two seasons ago, but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. "We remain steadfast in our commitment to building the team Brooklyn deserves," general manager Sean Marks said in a statement.

Nets general manager Sean Marks addressed the media for the first time since the team's overnight blockbuster trade of Kevin Durant.

Warren](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/tj-warren-te6am5kOZ0yFvULt/) was also part of the Durant deal for a package that included [Mikal Bridges](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/mikal-bridges-dmZgViDJ3He5ZrQp/), [Jae Crowder](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jae-crowder-0vLcUgtCxJK833Re/), Cam Johnson, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation going to the Nets. So, you know, the additions that we have made to the team over this last week. “I’m excited,” Marks said. “I wish nothing but the best for both of them, their families and so forth,” he said. I mean, we have guys in that room that I’m extremely proud of and they’re going to compete. But again, I look back and we’ve done a lot of thinking and soul searching on this and we said, well, you know, we did everything we possibly could, you know, to maximize this organization’s potential, to have ourselves in the conversation for a championship, and that’s all we’ve done, and we’ve shown that we’ve built this team up twice.” So there’s a lot of emotions that are running through a lot of people’s heads if I’m going to be brutally honest.” Marks discussed the future of the franchise and its past, saying in part, “It didn’t work,” when asked whether he considered Brooklyn’s era featuring Durant and Kyrie Irving, who was [traded Monday to the Mavericks,](https://theathletic.com/4158190/2023/02/05/nets-trade-kyrie-irving/) a failure for the Nets. The [Nets then sent Crowder to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal with the Pacers](https://theathletic.com/4172825/2023/02/09/jae-crowder-trade-nba-nets-bucks/), The Athletic reported Thursday. They come with a lot of thought, a lot of process, a lot of systematic debriefs and discussions that go along with that. You know, it’ll linger here with many of our guys for sure for a long time.” “It’s always difficult when you’re trading a player of that stature and that ilk; very difficult,” Marks said.

The Phoenix Suns will now boast a starting lineup that will at least feature Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Deandre Ayton.

Book can play with anybody and Chris can play with anybody. My time with him in USA Basketball and OKC has been consistent in that regard.” “Kevin is the hardest worker I’ve been around,” Williams said.

The NBA trade deadline had plenty of league-shifting trades as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook will finish the 2022-23 season with a ...

After the Phoenix Suns acquired Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant, they became the new favorites in the Western Conference.

22-year-old Josh Green, who just earned a rotation spot for the first time this year and has been playing extremely well, is now one of the biggest X-Factors in the league. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are still taking games off, so I’m not sure how to build trust there for a game every other day in the postseason. It has always felt a player short, whether it’s the amount of help for Morant with the offense or just the wing to perfectly balance out their great bigs and guards. The braggadocios, fearless way in which the young Grizzlies operate has predictably developed some resentment their way and it feels like they are going through the process of figuring out how to deal with that. The Warriors are 16th in offensive efficiency and 16th in defense. It’s just a matter if the Pelicans can get healthy enough in time. If that comes, it is in business at the top. The tidal waves headed your direction after the impact are going to blow you of the water in the same way as what happens once the Nuggets’ bench comes into the game. There is an asteroid the size of Wyoming headed for the Atlantic Ocean. Durant, Booker, Paul and Ayton have the postseason experience to lead a title push. Cam Payne, Damion Lee and Ish Wainright have proven to be reliable in some sense this season and the Suns will need that. They both really needed that and now Paul can be far fresher in the postseason.

No move was bigger than Phoenix Suns' agreement to trade for Kevin Durant. But the Lakers and Mavericks look stronger after deals of their own.

Hours before the Durant trade surfaced, the Lakers agreed to trade Westbrook to the Jazz in a three-team trade that included a package of draft picks and players headlined by Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell. Then last year, despite setting a franchise regular-season wins record, they ended their season with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Mavericks in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. He eschewed the lectern, using it only to hold a bottle of water he sipped from during questions. Durant, 34, improves the team immediately, and dramatically. He spent the afternoon at the team’s practice facility strategizing with Jones. But every once in a while Golden State notches a signature win, like its Christmas game, that reminds everyone why this team has won four championships in the past 10 years. It had been difficult to know what to make of the West for much of this season. 20 but have developed a reputation for stumbling in the playoffs. The Warriors have had a confusing season as well. On Christmas, the Grizzlies faced Golden State, then struggling in 11th place. The Dallas Mavericks acquired the disgruntled but dynamic Kyrie Irving from the Nets to pair him with Luka Doncic, the star 23-year-old guard. No team is dominating, not even the Nuggets, who have led the conference since Dec.