Phoenix Suns Receive: F Kevin Durant

Brooklyn Nets Receive: C Deandre Ayton, F Mikal Bridges, G Mike Conley, F Rudy Gay, 2023 First-Round Pick (PHO), 2023 First-Round Pick (UTA), 2025 First-Round Pick (PHO), 2027 First-Round Pick (PHO)

Utah Jazz Receive: G/F Ben Simmons

Kevin Durant trades have taken over the internet. If you can imagine it, the article probably already exists.

Even proposals that involve the Jazz aren’t novel. With that said, most of them end up sending Donovan Mitchell to Brooklyn. Could Utah get involved without parting with their star scoring guard?

Here, the Jazz help the Suns and Nets come to a solution. The Nets can’t trade for Deandre Ayton with Ben Simmons on the roster. A CBA rule dictates that you can’t trade for a player on a max rookie extension if you already have one. This deal lands Simmons on a new roster to facilitate a deal.

That might be in Brooklyn’s best interest anyway. The combined shooting (or lack thereof) between Simmons and Ayton makes them a poor fit.

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Meanwhile, Simmons and Mitchell should be snug. Simmons’ elite point-of-attack defense makes up for Mitchell’s shortcomings in that area, and Mitchell provides off-ball gravity for sets where Simmons is the primary ball-handler.

Furthermore, this trade should allow the Nets to stay competitive in Durant’s absence. They get younger and more draft capital from this trade. Finally, the Suns get Kevin Durant. There’s really no need to justify their involvement here.