Woj: Kevin Durant Wanted Suns Trade; 'Unsettled' as Nets Eyed John Collins, Anunoby

The Brooklyn Nets granted Kevin Durant's request to be traded to the Phoenix Suns after trying to upgrade their roster around the 13-time All-Star.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Durant and his business manager, Rich Kleiman, informed Nets governor Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks their preference was to be moved to the Suns.

According to Wojnarowski, the Suns were presenting Marks with offers that "weren't close to the Nets' asking price" on Monday and Tuesday.

At the same time, Wojnarowski noted Marks was pursuing deals for players like OG Anunoby, John Collins and Caris LeVert to improve Brooklyn's roster around Durant, but Durant's "mood was unsettled" and it led to the push to get an offer from Phoenix the Nets couldn't refuse.

The deal wound up being Durant and T.J. Warren to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, four unprotected first-round draft picks and a 2028 pick swap.

Wojnarowski noted new Suns governor Mat Ishbia initially wanted to do the deal without including Bridges, but was a "nonstarter" for Brooklyn.

The Suns have appealed to Durant at least going back to the offseason. When he made his original trade request in July, Wojnarowski noted the Suns and Miami Heat were among his preferred destinations.

The Nets were able to work things out with Durant and his camp at that time. Things looked to be going well for the team for a five-week period. They won 18 of 20 games, including 12 straight, and were just one game behind the Boston Celtics for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference after a Jan. 8 win over the Heat.

Jan. 8 wound up being a huge pivot point in the Nets' season. Durant suffered a sprained MCL against the Heat that still has him on the shelf. They proceeded to lose their next four games without him.

Kyrie Irving made his trade request after failed contract talks on Feb. 3, and he was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks four days later.

Rather than try to play out the rest of this season in Brooklyn with a roster that included new additions Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, Durant got the Nets to send him to a situation he has been enamored by.

The Suns' decision to make a final push with an offer that included Bridges has the franchise hoping to get back to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. They have never won a championship in the 55-year history of the franchise dating back to 1968.