Nets Trading Kevin Durant to Suns for Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges, Picks

The NBA trade deadline just got serious.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Nets are sending star forward Kevin Durant to the Suns in a deal that will undoubtedly rock the league and potentially reshape the Western Conference.

In exchange, the Nets will receive forwards Jae Crowder, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, along with four first-round picks and added draft compensation, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Nets will receive unprotected first-rounders in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, Wojnarowski detailed.

All in all, it’s been a major shakeup in Brooklyn, with Durant and former star guard Kyrie Irving being traded away within the past four days. Irving made his debut with the Mavericks on Wednesday night.

Durant will now team with the likes of Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton to try to propel the Suns back to the top of the Western Conference. They were eliminated in the second round last season after reaching the Finals in 2021.

As for the Nets, it’s been a total team makeover just within the past week, starting with Irving requesting a trade after failed negotiations on a contract extension.

The Durant news comes as an even bigger surprise, as he was expected to remain with the Nets until at least the end of the season. Brooklyn reportedly had been telling teams just a day ago that they had no intention of moving Durant before Thursday’s 3 p.m. EST deadline.

Instead, they will now welcome a whole new team, with the likes of Johnson, Crowder and Bridges, as well as Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, both acquired in the Irving trade with Dallas.

The trade of Durant was a “collaborative effort” between the star forward and the Nets, with the sides wanting to part on good terms, per Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.

Durant, 34, has been out with a knee injury since Jan. 9 and is expected to be sidelined until mid-to-late February, after the All-Star Break. He is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 39 games, shooting 56 percent from the field and 38 percent on 3-pointers.

The Suns just underwent a change at the top, with new owner Mat Ishbia taking over for suspended Robert Sarver earlier this week.

Kyrie, Russ, KD … all moved in a span of five days.

Quite a trade deadline …#thisleague https://t.co/nr4rZoCbZZ

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 9, 2023