The Kevin Durant era is over in Brooklyn. The Nets landed a huge haul of players and valuable draft picks from the Phoenix Suns overnight in the biggest trade of the season so far.
The Suns are sending the Nets four unprotected first-round picks (in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029), as well as rights to a pick swap in 2028, along with Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder.
Why did the Nets decide to let go of Durant? According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant requested the organization make a deal with the Suns if possible.
“The biggest reason Kevin Durant’s no longer in Brooklyn is that he didn’t want to be in Brooklyn anymore, and he wanted to be in Phoenix. This is a franchise, a team that was at the very top of his list last summer when he asked out, and then of course rescinded the trade (request) prior to preseason. But he told the Nets in recent days, and certainly since the Kyrie Irving trade, that if there was a deal to be made with the Suns he would like them to make it.Â
And those discussions really gathered momentum late last night when the Nets were able to get in the deal what they wanted. Certainly those four unprotected first round picks, but Mikal Bridges. That was the key to a deal for the Nets.”
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