Report: Suns Realize Kevin Durant Trade Won’t Match Nets Haul

When the Brooklyn Nets traded Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in 2023, they made sure to extract every asset they could. Two years removed from the blockbuster transaction, and the Nets managed to turn the future Hall of Famer into eight first-round picks and Cam Johnson—who could be moved for even more capital this summer.

On June 11, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that Phoenix would be seeking similar compensation to what it initially gave up for Durant, but in the six days since that report, it seems the Suns have made a realization.

Per Marc Stein, Phoenix is aware of its lack of leverage and has accepted the fact that it won't be getting a similar package to what it gave up for the 15-time All-Star.

"[The Suns] know they won't be able to come anywhere close to matching (gulp) what they gave up to get Durant but appear heartened by the level of interest," Stein revealed on Sunday's edition of The Stein Line.

This revelation directly impacts Brooklyn, which is expected to help facilitate Durant's trade regardless of what ends up being the ultimate destination. Depending on who emerges as the winners of the Durant sweepstakes, the Nets' compensation could range anywhere from Duncan Robinson to multiple future draft picks.

Phoenix still has just over a week to decide on a return package, as the franchise has set the 2025 NBA Draft as the deadline to move Durant, per Duane Rankin. Rankin backed up Stein's report that the Suns have "no leverage."

Now that the Suns have concluded that they won't be able to recuperate the assets lost when they traded for a then-35-year-old Durant, a deal coming together becomes much easier. Phoenix truly has very little power over the interested franchises, making the options in negotiations slim.

While this development affects the Nets, it also puts into perspective just how significant a haul GM Sean Marks got for Durant at the 2023 trade deadline. As the Suns scramble to accept the best of a slew of poor offers, Brooklyn is set up for sustained future success, thanks in part to Phoenix's premium offer two years ago.