Kevin Durant being traded to Phoenix puts the cherry on top of one of the best NBA trade deadlines to date. Let’s get into the specifics of the trade, who won, what this trade does to the west, and what this season now means for the Suns and KD.
TRADE SPECIFICS
The Suns received Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren, and gave up Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, four unprotected first round picks, and a pick swap in 2028. Jae Crowder was then moved to Milwaukee in exchange for 5 second round picks. Two of those picks were acquired in a separate deal with the Pacers, who received Jordan Nwora, Serge Ibaka, and George Hill from Brooklyn.
WINNER OF THE FOUR TEAM DEAL
In my opinion, the Suns are the clear winners here. They land an all time talent in KD, and unlike the Irving trade that recently went down, Durant is signed for three years.
The Suns starting lineup is absurd now: KD, Booker, Ayton, CP3, Torrey Craig/TJ Warren. On paper, this could be one of the best starting five ever. But one thing needs to be remembered, the same thing was said about the Nets lineup with Harden, Kyrie, and KD, and look how that turned out.
However, I don’t think that Phoenix will be the same situation we saw with the Nets. While the Nets had a nasty roster, they also had a couple of the biggest head cases in the history of the NBA on their team. The Suns players are much less problematic, so I think if they stay healthy they’ll make a seriously deep run in the playoffs.
HOW THE WEST LOOKS NOW
In December, Ja Morant had an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, where he made this bold statement:
While people slightly criticized him at the time for leaving out the title defending Warriors, the comment didn’t generate much fuss. Now, after the trade deadline, his statement has aged horribly. The west is looking stacked, and Memphis has a list of teams they need to go through before meeting the Celts in the finals.
Aside from the Warriors who we know to always be contenders, the Suns and Mavs have now emerged as front runners in the west. A tall task for Morant to tackle, but I’m just excited to see the battles go down when April rolls around.
LASTLY, WHAT THIS SEASON MEANS TO THE SUNS AND KD
The Suns now have Booker signed through the 2027-28 season, and KD through the 2025-26 season. While many are saying this year is championship or bust, I don’t believe that’s the case. Sure, CP3 is getting up there in the years, but he still has a few years left on his contract, and Ayton will be around for a year longer than Paul too.
As for Durant, Kendrick Perkins had a wild take for what this season means for his legacy:
I can agree with Perk saying KD needs to prove himself by winning a title separate from Golden State, but this year won’t be his last chance. As I mentioned, he and Booker are locked in for the foreseeable future along with Ayton, who has shown flashes of greatness. If Ayton can step up and be the player everybody thought he would be while playing in college at Arizona, that big three is enough to win a title by themselves.
BONUS PREDICTION
Something that needs to be talked about with this situation is Kyrie’s contract. At the end of this season it will run out, and I don’t see him sticking around in Dallas unless they win a title.
Everybody knows he was aiming to land in LA when he requested a trade, but what isn’t talked about enough is his interest in Phoenix. I can totally see Irving reuniting with Durant on the Suns. Whether that would spell success or doom is up for debate. While we’re talking hypotheticals here, Kyrie’s decision is going to be one to monitor this coming offseason.