It sounds like the Phoenix Suns really did not put their best foot forward in conversations with the Brooklyn Nets on a possible Kevin Durant trade.
Durant is arguably the biggest name to hit the NBA trade block ever. He is seen by many as the best player in the league today not because he is a perfect all-around talent, but with the league geared so much to offense, there is no better player on planet earth when it comes to putting the ball into the basket.
In a normal year, the return for a player of such stature would be massive. One NBA executive recently suggested the 12-time All-Star should land the Nets a deal similar to the one they gave the Houston Rockets when they traded for James Harden in 2021. A trade for Durant that would require a historic haul of players and draft assets was cemented when the Utah Jazz scored an impressive four first-round picks plus players in return when they sent Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Following Durant’s trade request, the Suns were the team viewed as his preferred landing spot and a team that might have enough to secure a deal for the one-time league MVP. However, a new report says that the organization was unwilling to give up the majority of its best assets in any possible deal.
Phoenix Suns unwilling to include Mikal Bridges in a Kevin Durant trade
On a Friday edition of “Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective,” ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst spoke on a suggested four-team deal that would see Durant end up in Phoenix and include Ben Simmons going to Indiana. However, Windhorst says that was never an option because the Suns are not interested in moving many of their draft assets or a valuable talent like Mikal Bridges, who would need to be in any Durant trade proposal.
“That’s kind of the ‘problem’ with that now dead four-team trade. There’s two issues from my end, and I’m not insulting it to be clear. One was it would require the Suns to give up all the draft picks and all the swaps, and Mikal Bridges, and I just don’t think they were there. They were not offering that to the Nets. That was not on the table. So you’re asking them to significantly upgrade their offer for Durant.”
Brian Windhorst on Suns Durant trade offer
In the end, what the Suns proposed thus far is likely the best offer the Nets will see in a possible deal with Phoenix after the team matched an offer sheet to retain center Deandre Ayton on Thursday.
“How do I want to put this? I think the position they’re taking is that they’ve made their offer for Kevin Durant. And their offer is their offer,” says Windhorst. “And it’s not an offer that the Nets are interested in. … I’m not even sure the Suns can put together an offer that the Nets would be interested in by themselves. I think this is where the other teams are as well.”
If Bridges is untouchable in a deal for Durant, that should put a nail in the coffin of any chances for a swap that sends the superstar scorer to Phoenix.
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