Kevin Durant is nearing a sensational move to the Phoenix Suns and is set to become the latest big name to leave Brooklyn.
Durant and T.J. Warren are set to move to the Valley in a blockbuster trade, certain to shock the NBA world to its core.
News broke moments after Durant’s former teammate, Kyrie Irving starred in his debut for Dallas – just days after leaving Brooklyn.
An ESPN report states that Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks will head to Brooklyn in exchange for the duo.
The picks, in 2023, ’25, ’27 and ’29 are all unprotected. Further, a pick swap will occur between the two franchises.
Kevin Durant is set to become the newest member of the Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade
New Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia has issued a statement of intent with Durant reports
If Durant, who requested a trade this offseason, moves he will once more be in the Western Conference having started his career there with the Oklahoma City Thunder before a free agent move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Phoenix currently sit fifth in the Western Conference and have struggled to recapture last season’s form, but with Durant their fortunes in the regular season and beyond could be liable to drastic change.
It is undeniably a show of intent from new Suns owner Mat Ishbia who, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, is ‘pushing to get [the] deal done.’
Ishbia, a mortgage executive and former Michigan State guard, has only recently become the majority owner in Phoenix after the NBA’s board of governors approved his plan to purchase the controlling stake of the Suns from Robert Sarver on Monday night.
The Spartans alum agreed on December 20 to the deal, one that put the total value of the Suns and the Mercury, the Phoenix WNBA team, at $4billion.
A move to shift Durant away from New York signals an end to a very talented albeit wildly unsuccessful era in Brooklyn with James Harden, Irving nor Ben Simmons able to help elevate the Nets anywhere close toward an NBA title.
Durant’s move to Brooklyn in 2019 brought him to the Eastern Conference but now he will fight against Irving, Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant for supremacy in the West.
In less than three seasons in New York, Durant has averaged 29 points, 5.8 assists while shooting 40 percent from three-point range.
Both Durant and Kyrie Irving have left the Brooklyn Nets after joining forces at NY franchise
As a Net, Durant’s best playoff finish was making the 2020-21 Eastern Conference semi-finals, which Brooklyn lost to Milwaukee in seven games.
Phoenix play at Atlanta Thursday night before a trip to Indiana the following day. If the deal is to become official, Durant is most likely to debut following the All-Star break.
While at the podium following his 24-point debut performance for Dallas, Irving was asked for his thoughts on his friend’s reported trade.
‘I’m glad he got out of there,’ Irving said of his former teammate.
‘I’m just praying for his happiness and well-being. We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures would look like.
Brooklyn’s big three of Ben Simmons (L), Irving (C) and Durant (R) never produced as hoped
The previous iteration involved James Harden alongside Irving and Durant, and did not work
‘We just cared about seeing each other in places we could thrive, whether that be together or apart.
‘I just love the competition now that we can be in the same conference and I welcome all that. Probably playing against Phoenix a lot more, that’s what I’m looking forward to.’
Meanwhile, newest member of the Brooklyn Nets, Mikal Bridges was equally as shocked as the NBA world at the trade news, tweeting ‘Omygod lol’ shortly after reports surfaced on Twitter.
The jaw-dropping reports leave all eyes now firmly on what happens next with the NBA trade deadline 3pm ET Thursday.
Mikail Bridges tweeted his shock at the news, despite being directly involved in the huge trade
Devin Booker (C) and Kevin Durant are set to form a fearsome duo in the Western Conference