Kevin Durant Traded To Suns In Blockbuster Move While We Were Sleeping

By Alex Benjamin

ESPN.com

Well, there goes my Lakers' future. Durant was on a team with no superstars for 1 day and he couldn’t handle it. "I can’t carry these bums" he probably. said.

It's trade deadline day and the NBA world is buzzing with excitement as the rumors and trades start flying in. The day started with the Russell Westbrook 3-team trade and some smaller trades, but nothing could have prepared us for what was to come next. While you were sleeping, the Phoenix Suns have made a big move, sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 pick swap for none other than Kevin Durant and TJ Warren.

In a move like this, you can get the fireworks you desire. It's odd because I just read that the Nets weren't interested in trading for Durant yesterday.

24 hours have passed, and guess what? Durant is in a Suns uniform. KD, Ayton, Booker, and CP 3. The Suns core is there for the new look. They recently acquired a new owner, and new owners often like to create an impact, and this surely does that. Given how much the two clubs dislike one another, the fact that Durant joined the Suns after Kyrie joined the Mavericks could not be more ideal. Now we can spice up that rivalry with a vengeful Durant. Please and thank you, sign me up for seven of them.

The cost of this trade is quite significant, with the Suns giving up four unprotected first-round picks for a 34-year-old Durant. This might seem like a steep price, but when you have the chance to add a player like Durant to your team while keeping your core intact, you do it. F them picks as we like to say. The Suns lose some on-ball defense with the loss of Mikal Bridges, but the trade-off is worth it for a player of Durant's caliber. Guarding KD and Booker at the same time might be difficult if you don't have wing depth. Especially adding the pick and roll with Ayton or the CP3 midrange.

On the other hand, the Nets have now entered into a rebuilding phase. They have turned Durant and Kyrie into Dinwiddie, DFS, Bridges, Johnson, and five first-round picks, which isn't the worst return in the world. They are still stuck with Ben Simmons, but it's likely he'll be traded soon as well.

I would give the Suns an A grade. The arrival of Durant makes the Suns one of the favorites in the Western Conference. He averaged 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game in 39 appearances for the Nets this season. As for the Nets, this is a B. They didn’t get a star back in return, but they got some good young players. Bridges, Johnson and Crowder have served as the wing core for the Suns for the past few seasons. This year, Bridges is averaging 17.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists, while Johnson is putting up 13.9 points and 3.8 rebounds

This trade deadline day has been a wild ride, and we can expect more moves to come. I believe I need some time to reflect on what just happened. I love NBA Trade Deadline.