Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Deandre Ayton, F Mikal Bridges, 2023 First-Round Pick (PHO), 2025 First-Round Pick (PHO), 2027 First-Round Pick (PHO)
Phoenix Suns Receive: F Kevin Durant
We thought we’d start with the most obvious package. It appears the Phoenix Suns are the top team on Kevin Durant’s list of preferred destinations. It just so happens that they have a sensible package to offer as well.
This deal puts the Nets in a position where they’ve got a young core that ought to stay competitive. Since they owe their first-round picks through to 2027 to the Houston Rockets, that’s the best position they could find themselves in. This team has no incentive to bottom out.
With that said, they won’t likely contend for a championship in 2022-23 following this trade. The fit between DeAndre Ayton and Ben Simmons is concerning. Unless Ayton develops a three-pointer, it may not work.
That’s a bridge for the Nets to cross when they come to it. Either man could be moved before this year’s deadline if that appears necessary.
LATEST NBA NEWS AND TRADE RUMORS: Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant Trade Wish-List: Phoenix Suns No. 1, Miami Heat No. 2
From a pure value perspective, the Nets are getting a lot in return for Durant here. The Suns, meanwhile, are getting Kevin Durant. What else needs to be said about that?
