Windhorst: Kevin Durant Trade Was a 'Covert, One-Team Negotiation' Between Nets, Suns
The Brooklyn Nets reportedly only engaged in trade talks with the Phoenix Suns before deciding to ship Kevin Durant to Phoenix late Wednesday night.
Appearing Thursday on Get Up, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst (h/t RealGM) said talks between the Nets and Suns focused on Durant were a "covert, one-team negotiation."
Ultimately, the decision was made to move the final remaining piece of Brooklyn's superteam, with the Nets trading Durant and T.J. Warren to Phoenix in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected first-round picks.
The Durant trade came just a couple of days after the Nets fulfilled Kyrie Irving's trade request by sending him and Markieff Morris to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.
Windhorst noted that as of Monday, the Nets were planning to keep KD and make subsequent trades in order to build around him and attempt to make a run at a championship this season.
The stance reportedly changed "all of a sudden," and when Durant made it clear that Phoenix was the only place he wanted to go, the Nets and Suns talked trade with no other teams involved.
Per Windhorst, it is unlikely the Suns would have made such a trade under the ownership of Robert Sarver, but Mat Ishbia taking over as majority owner of the Suns this week opened the door for the trade to happen.
After reaching the NBA Finals two seasons ago and posting the best record in the NBA last season, the Suns have not performed up to expectations this season.
Still, they are fifth in the Western Conference at 30-26 and are just two games out of third.
Devin Booker and Chris Paul missing significant time because of injuries has been a major reason for the struggles, but adding Durant to a core of Booker, Paul and Deandre Ayton could spell trouble for the Western Conference if all of them can stay healthy down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the Nets have gone from a team that was a championship contender last season with Durant, Irving and James Harden leading the way, to a shell of their former selves after trading Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers last season and Irving and Durant to the Mavs and Suns, respectively, this week.
The Nets are likely out of the championship hunt this season, but they did land a ton of draft capital and some quality pieces who could either net them more picks or be part of the roster moving forward.
Few could have expected Durant's tenure in Brooklyn to end in such disarray and with so little team success, but now he has a chance to get back in the championship mix with a revitalized Suns team.
