AFTER Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets have also parted ways with Kevin Durant after sending him to Phoenix Suns in a blockbuster trade ahead of the 2022-2023 NBA season trade deadline on Thursday (Friday in the Philippines).
The Nets traded the two-time NBA champion Durant to the Suns along with former Phoenix player TJ Warren, according to a report by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Nets, in return, acquired Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, four future first round draft picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 and some pick swaps.
The move made the Suns an instant playoffs contender as Durant is set to team up with former NBA All-Stars Chris Paul, Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton.
Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team, six-player trade that saw Russell Westbrook go to Utah Jazz and veteran Mike Conley Jr. to Minnesota Timberwolves.
Based on the deal, Russell along with Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley are headed to the Lakers, Westbrook and Lakers’ first round pick to Jazz, and Conley, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and a second round pick to the Timberwolves.
The trade served as a homecoming for Russell, who started his NBA career with the Lakers, which made him as their no.2 overall pick during the 2015 NBA Rookie Draft.
Russell stayed with the Lakers until 2017 before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He also had a short stint with the Golden State Warriors in 2019 before being traded to the Timberwolves.
Meanwhile, Portland Trail Blazers has traded veteran forward Josh Hart to New York Knicks in exchange for Cam Reddish and a protected first round draft pick.
In other trade news, Nets send Kessler Edwards to Sacramento Kings for cash, Miami Heat shipped Dewayne Dedmon and a second round pick to San Antonio Spurs for cash, while Spurs shipped Jacob Poeltl back to Toronto Raptors for Khem Birch and a first round pick./PN
