Durant to Suns tops flurry of deals at deadline
First it was Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks. Then came Kevin Durant to the Suns.
The Nets breakup is rebuilding some contenders in the West.
Trade deadline day in the NBA arrived Thursday with news of a blockbuster.
The Nets had agreed overnight to deal Durant to the Suns for a package that included Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder — who later tweeted he was headed to the Bucks — four first-round picks and additional draft compensation.
A day earlier, the Lakers agreed to send Russell Westbrook to the Jazz as part of a three-way deal also with the Timberwolves that brought D’Angelo Russell back to the Lakers.
The Lakers stayed busy up until the deadline with a couple more moves as they try to build a contender around NBA career scoring leader LeBron James. They added another big man in Mo Bamba from the Magic for Patrick Beverley, a second-round pick and cash considerations, according to a person with knowledge of those negotiations. The Magic are not expected to keep Beverley, according to reports.
The Suns could end up being more powerful than last season’s squad, which won an NBA-best 64 games then flamed out with a second-round loss to the Mavericks. The Suns just got Devin Booker back from a groin injury that had sidelined him since Christmas and soon will add Durant to the lineup when he recovers from a sprained knee ligament. That’s on top of Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
The Suns have won nine of 11 and shared the fourth-best record with the Mavs entering Thursday night’s games.
The Mavericks also may be stronger after acquiring Irving to pair with Luka Doncic. Irving asked the Nets last week to trade him, frustrated by his negotiations for a contract extension, and he was headed
West a few days later.
The Lakers are still hoping they can make some noise. They acquired Russell — who began his career with the franchise — from the Timberwolves, and guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz. The deal sent Westbrook to the Jazz after the 2017 NBA MVP never thrived alongside James and Anthony Davis.
The Timberwolves got Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from the Jazz, along with three second-round picks.
The Lakers made yet another move Thursday, sending center Thomas Bryant to the Nuggest for Davon Reed and three second-round picks. Bryant, who started 25 games and is averaging 12.1 points, could be a good backup to two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
The Spurs added more assets to their rebuilding project by trading center Jakob Poeltl back to the Raptors for Khem Birch plus a first-round pick in the 2024 draft and a pair of second-round selections.