Suns' trade for Kevin Durant stings even worse thanks to Knicks playoff hero

Phoenix Suns fans thought everything had changed for the better in February 2023 when the team traded two homegrown players -- Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson -- to Brooklyn for Kevin Durant, but little did they know it wouldn't work out. Over two years later, Durant and the Suns seem to be headed for an amicable breakup after missing the playoffs, while Bridges and the Knicks have a 2-0 lead over the Celtics in the second round.

New York traded for Bridges last summer after he spent a season and a half with the Nets. The Knicks cashed in four unprotected first-round picks, a protected first-round pick, and a pick swap for the wing. Bridges had an up-and-down regular season, but in New York's first two playoff games against Boston, he showed why the Knicks sent their crosstown rival a haul.

In Game 1, New York battled back from being down by 20 points to beat Boston in overtime, 108-105. Derrick White inbounded the ball to Jaylen Brown with three seconds left in overtime, but Brown didn't get a shot off because Bridges snatched the ball from him.

Guess who made another major defensive stop at the end of Game 2? Bridges. The Celtics had the ball with 12.7 seconds left in regulation, down one. Jayson Tatum dribbled to the corner and went up for a fadeaway, but Bridges blocked it.

Watching Mikal Bridges in playoffs is a tough reminder for Suns fans

The problem with the Durant trade wasn't his play, but the Suns' roster construction. Mat Ishbia orchestrated the KD trade, and after losing to the Nuggets in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, he traded for Bradley Beal in a disastrous move.

Durant is still playing at a high level. He was named an All-Star starter a few months ago. KD still has at least a couple of seasons left, but it doesn't seem like they'll be in Phoenix. The Suns shopped him before the deadline in a move that shocked Durant. The Warriors were interested in a reunion with KD, but he didn't want to be traded midseason.

The odds are that Durant will leave the desert this summer, regardless of what GM Brian Gregory said in his first presser. Phoenix needs to build up its draft assets again (it sent four unprotected first-round picks for KD). Ishbia doesn't want to enter a rebuilding phase, but the Suns can give themselves some room to breathe with a Durant trade.

Watching Mikal play a significant role in New York winning the first two games of its series on the road against the defending champions is a sad reminder of what could've been.