It has been reported that the Phoenix Suns must send a large package to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire Kevin Durant. It includes Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson.
Bridges, 25, averaged a career-high 14.2 points per game in 82 starts last season. He was also named to the All-Defensive First Team for the first time in his career. He is one of the NBA’s best wing defenders and is under contract for the next four years.
Johnson, 26, is coming off a career-high season, with 12.5 points on 42.5 percent three-point shooting, and has one year on his rookie contract before becoming a restricted free agent.
However, the Nets have also previously said that they want All-Star level players for the 33-year-old star, and none of the players in the Suns’ package has ever made an All-Star team.
KD’s request for trade
Kevin Durant’s request for a trade from the Brooklyn Nets will be one month old soon. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Suns and the Miami Heat are among his preferred destinations. Teams from across the league have attempted to contact him, but he has yet to respond.
The Suns were in the NBA Finals in 2021, and they had the best record in basketball this season before their playoff failures. In the Jimmy Butler era, the Miami Heat reached the finals in 2020 and was a 3-point attempt from Butler away from doing so again in 2022.
If Durant decides to go to the Suns, it is likely the Suns’ trade package will include center DeAndre Ayton. However, Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro reported the Nets were not interested in receiving Ayton.
Furthermore, Ayton recently agreed to terms with the Indiana Pacers on an offer sheet, which the Suns accepted. It was the largest offer sheet in history, with Ayton signing a four-year, $133 million contract.
Fans’ opinion on Durant’s trade request
Durant’s trade request has invited a variety of reactions from fans. SunsUniTracker, a fan account on Twitter, posted a picture of the Suns’ road purple top with the number 35 and Durant’s name across the back shortly after the news broke.
Commenter Connor Witt shared a photo of his Dragan Bender jersey, which he wore as the Suns’ No. 35 from 2016 to 2019, with the name crossed out and Durant’s name written in silver above it. Over the number 35, he replaced “BENDER” with “DURANT”. The responses he received were mostly positive.
Current progress of the trade
The Boston Celtics are at the forefront of the Durant race. In exchange for the Brooklyn superstar, Boston’s package includes Jaylen Brown. Meanwhile, fellow wing Jayson Tatum is reportedly unavailable.
The Celtics can also trade up to three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Boston has made an offer for guard Derrick White, but Brooklyn is also interested in NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart.
A Suns package would now have to start with Bridges, Cam Johnson, and future draft picks, falling short of what the Celtics, for example, are presumably offering.