The Phoenix Suns sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four first-round picks to the Nets in 2023 for Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren. A little over two years later, they traded Durant to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft as part of a multi-team deal.
Mat Ishbia mortgaged the Suns' future for Durant, hoping that his aggressiveness would pay off with a championship. Ironically, it had the opposite effect. To no fault of Durant's, Phoenix failed to make it past the second round. His time with the Suns ended in the regular season, as they didn't secure a playoff berth this past season.
Phoenix could've gotten more for Durant if it had waited, but the Suns wanted a pick in the draft, which turned out to be Khaman Maluach. He isn't ready to be an NBA starter. Maluach is still 19, so he can develop into one, but Phoenix's push for a pick in the KD deal made less sense after the pick was made. Maluach is a project, and the Suns want to (try to) win now.
The return that they got for Durant will set the market for other aging stars. Durant is still a high-level scorer, but he is no longer the player he used to be. The next time an older star player hits the market, this summer's KD trade will be a point of reference.
Suns could've gotten more in Kevin Durant trade
Phoenix didn't get a young star in the trade. You can argue that Jalen Green, who is 23, can evolve into a star, but there are flaws in his game that fans will notice right away. He isn't meant to be a lead playmaker, and the Suns don't have a true point guard. He'll share that duty with Devin Booker.
Brooks is the kind of defensive pest that you like to have on your team, but he's just a role player. He isn't a scorer, either.
The Suns were eager to hit the reset button by trading Durant, but by doing so, they got worse. Durant didn't publicly request a trade, but you can read between the lines. The hope was that he'd spend the rest of his career in the desert, but Phoenix severely mismanaged that. He wouldn't have been willing to leave if the Suns were winning.
Phoenix will pay for the trade, as will other teams that find themselves in a similar position to the Suns.