PHILADELPHIA–In the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, the Brooklyn Nets pulled off a huge blockbuster move when they sent superstar forward Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns as it ended what can only be qualified as a disappointment of a Big 3 era in Brooklyn.
The Nets sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2022 deadline and then traded Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and then Durant to the Suns at the 2023 deadline.
Sixers coach Doc Rivers theoretically now has one less team to worry about in the Eastern Conference in terms of contention with the Nets now hitting the reset button. He was surprised they moved both Irving and Durant, but he also gave the Nets credit for the moves they made.
“I was surprised,” he said on Friday. “I thought the Nets did a helluva job, honestly, in an extreme situation. They got a lot of good players. They’re not gonna be some—but the West had an arm’s race almost, it felt like. Phoenix, Dallas, I thought the Clippers had a helluva day. It’s fun. Sitting there watching. I was just like you guys. It’s interesting.”
The Suns now figure to be the favorite in the Western Conference as Durant now joins Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Deandre Ayton looking to lead Phoenix to their first title in franchise history.
The Sixers will take on the Nets on Saturday in Brooklyn looking to build a bit of a winning streak on the floor.
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