After three-plus tumultuous years and a second trade request in eight months, All-NBA forward Kevin Durant was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns for a package that includes dynamic forward Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected future first-round picks, sources told ESPN on Wednesday night.
• Thursday: In process of trading Kevin Durant to Suns*
• Feb. 6, 2023: Traded Kyrie Irving to Mavericks
• Feb. 2022: Traded James Harden to 76ers
• Jan. 2021: Acquired James Harden from Rockets
• July 2019: Acquired Kevin Durant from Warriors via sign-and-trade
• July 2019: Signed Kyrie Irving
*per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski
THIS LEAGUE!!!! What a wild ride it has been for the Brooklyn Nets these last few years. After giving up several first round picks years ago to acquire James Harden, the Nets are finally getting that return back after dealing Kyrie and KD. The deal delivers Durant to the desert to partner with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton -- and ends the great superstar experiment in Brooklyn. Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden all arrived to conquer the NBA together, and they all left on the muscle of trade requests. They played a total of 16 games together.
This is a huge deal for the Suns and their future as a team that has never won an NBA championship. Durant is locked up for 3 more years, CP3 for 2 more years, and they extended both Booker and Ayton last off season. Pending no locker room turmoil, any Kardashians getting involved, and no significant injuries, the Suns should be the favorites in the West for the next few years.
*breaking news* Milwaukee Bucs just acquired Jae Crowder from the Nets for FIVE second round picks.
I don't know how draft picks are even valued anymore. But back to the Nets.
16 games played together, 3 trade demands, 2 vaccinations, 2 first-round sweeps ,1 Alex Jones Instagram post, 1 anti-Semitic film promoted, 1 trade for Ben Simmons, 1 playoffs series victory. That was the final stat line for Harden, KD, and Kyrie in Brooklyn. It's actually embarrassing this big 3 never worked out or even made a deep championship run. But as we constantly see in the NBA, if it isn't working just say "fuck it I quit trade me", so now Harden is in Philly, Kyrie is in Dallas, and KD is in Phoenix. Side note, Phoenix is low key a very tough word to spell, the O and E are constantly fucking me up.
I don't know how anyone could be surprise this didn't work out if you look at how the NBA operates as a whole, and then just how these three players operate. James Harden, too horny to focus on basketball and needs to be within 5 miles of a strip club. Kevin Durant, addicted to the reacting to the haters on twitter. Kyrie Irving, conspiracy theorist and Anti-Semitic. Do those really seem like qualities of 3 superstar players that could put their differences aside and win a title. The only similarity they had was hating Steve Nash.
So let's recap: Harden went to chase a ring in a similar fashion as his ex-OKC teammate Durant did with Golden State. Instead of winning a couple championships that left him feeling empty like KD, Harden wound up being the first of Brooklyn's superstar to leave. Durant demanded a trade in the offseason, but walked it back, which was a true shock. Although he's played like an MVP this season, KD has missed extended times again due to injury, while Kyrie has stirred up all kinds of drama as usual. I need to reach out to Arian Foster and get his take on the current state of the NBA because at this point it's drama scripted movie. THIS TEAM DIDN'T MAKE AN NBA FINALS. This was just 3 egotistical superstars who created a super team, that probably couldn't beat the CubeMonkeySports starting 5, since they couldnt stay on the court together. KD vs Uncle Tim in the low post would be a nice matchup of two lanky players with a size 18 shoe.
Anyway, KD enjoy the BJ. Shoutout @PardonMyTake
