By BRIAN MAHONEY (AP Basketball Writer)
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant is leaving Brooklyn, as Kyrie Irving simply did and James Harden earlier than that.
Loading up on superstars didn’t repay in Brooklyn.
“Let’s be honest there,” normal supervisor Sean Marks mentioned. “We did not reach the full potential of where we thought we could get to, our hopes and honestly our beliefs.”
Now the Phoenix Suns are giving it a shot.
The Nets traded Durant to the Suns on Thursday as a part of a four-team deal, a blockbuster that kicked off the NBA’s commerce deadline day.
The Nets acquired Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, and a first-round choose swap in 2028 from the Suns, who additionally received T.J. Warren from the Nets.
The Nets additionally acquired second-round picks in 2028 and 2029 from Milwaukee and the draft rights to protect Juan Pablo Vaulet from Indiana within the deal.
The 34-year-old Durant remains to be taking part in at an elite degree, averaging practically 30 factors per recreation this season. He requested for a commerce final summer time and the Suns had been , and eventually received him earlier than Thursday’s 3 p.m. EST commerce deadline.
Durant is recovering from a sprained knee ligament, and when he returns it will likely be to a Phoenix lineup that all of a sudden might be among the finest within the Western Conference.
“He knows how to play. He’s played in a number of different systems. He’s insertable in any of them,” mentioned Suns guard Landry Shamet, who performed with Durant in Brooklyn. “You can throw it to him and he’s going to go score every time.”
He was moved simply days after the Nets traded Irving to Dallas, a stunningly quick finish to the celebrity period in Brooklyn. Harden was traded to Philadelphia finally yr’s deadline, leaving the Nets with little to indicate for the temporary time that they had the Big Three collectively.
Now it’s the Suns with a high assortment of expertise, with Durant becoming a member of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
The commerce got here simply hours after new Suns majority proprietor Mat Ishbia was launched in Phoenix. The self-described basketball nut, who was a walk-on at Michigan State underneath Tom Izzo, didn’t waste any time shaking up the NBA.
Ishbia known as it a “transformative day” for the crew.
“Not only is Kevin one of the greatest and most accomplished players in the history of the sport, but his character also embodies the world-class commitment to excellence we are instilling across every facet of this organization,” Ishbia mentioned in a press release.
Phoenix has by no means received a league championship. The Suns made the NBA Finals two seasons in the past, however misplaced to the Milwaukee Bucks in six video games. They additionally performed within the finals in 1976 and 1993.
The Suns have had a number of accidents this season, however have received 9 of their final 11 video games and seem like contenders once more. They jumped to fifth within the Western Conference with a 30-26 document. Booker (groin) and Paul (hip) have each just lately returned.
When Irving heard the information, he mentioned: “I’m just glad that he got out of there.”
Irving scored 24 factors in his Mavs debut towards the Clippers on Wednesday. The Nets refused to provide him a contract extension final summer time, about the identical time Durant was telling the crew he needed to be dealt.
Eventually, Irving left and Durant adopted.
“We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like,” Irving mentioned. “There was nonetheless a degree of uncertainty however we simply cared about seeing one another be locations that we are able to thrive. Whether that be collectively or whether or not that be aside, there has by no means been one second the place I’ve felt like he’s been offended at me for the choices I’ve made or I’ve been offended at him.
“I just love the competition now that we can be in the same conference.”
Bridges was the runner-up to Boston’s Marcus Smart final season for the Defensive Player of the Year award and his offensive recreation continues to develop. The swingman scored 21 factors Tuesday when the Suns beat the Nets 116-112 in Brooklyn.
His acquisition, together with Dorian Finney-Smith, who got here with Spencer Dinwiddie from Dallas, ought to make the Nets a a lot stronger defensive crew. But these gamers can’t substitute the firepower the Nets misplaced with Durant and Irving, two All-Star starters.
Durant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP with Golden State, was taking part in among the finest basketball of his profession this season. He was averaging 29.7 factors and taking pictures a career-high 55.9% from the sector when he was damage Jan. 8 in Miami. He had his knee checked once more this week and Nets coach Jacque Vaughn mentioned Durant was progressing effectively, however there was no replace as to when he may start collaborating absolutely in practices.
___
AP Sports Writers David Brandt in Phoenix, Beth Harris in Los Angeles and Charles Odum in Atlanta, and AP freelance author Pat Pickens in New York, contributed to this report.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Source: www.bostonherald.com”