In a blockbuster deal, the Brooklyn Nets trade Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren to the Phoenix Suns in return for Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cam Johnson, four first-round picks, and additional draft compensation.
Crowder has subsequently been moved to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The deal comes after the Nets traded Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and several draft picks.
Nets Trade Kevin Durant to Suns
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What do Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns look like fantasy-wise?
Durant heads to the desert to lead a team that made the finals in 2021. While he hasn’t made a deep playoff run in several years, this team in Phoenix should be more stable than the Nets teams of the past few seasons.
For all fantasy purposes, Durant won’t change his game much. He’s been a top-five fantasy player in category leagues this season alongside Irving. Playing next to Devin Booker won’t significantly change his value.
Booker might take a hit in terms of fantasy value. Expect slightly lower usage for the shooting guard. This might send him down to the fourth round in terms of 9-category value. He's currently ranked No. 35 on the season, per Basketball Monster.
Kevin Durant is on his way to the Valley of the Sun pic.twitter.com/IegCUWEQuF
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
TJ Warren will be worth a look in category and points leagues now that he’s out of the wing logjam in Brooklyn. Once he gets healthy, keep Warren on your watch list in case he starts shooting the ball the way he did before he had season-canceling surgery on the stress fracture in his left foot.
Torrey Craig will be a player to keep an eye on. The veteran wing has been valuable in certain stints from a 9-category perspective, and with Bridges and Johnson out of town, Craig is sure to get all the run he can handle. He could be a good source of three-pointers, rebounds, and blocks.
What happens with these new-look Brooklyn Nets?
We’re looking at one of the league’s biggest logjams at the forward positions. With Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Royce O’Neale, and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Nets have four rock-solid wings, especially on the defensive end.
Jae Crowder was already redirected from Brooklyn to Milwaukee as a part of a larger deal that includes the Pacers. Crowder should round out the Bucks’ starting lineup alongside Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez.
The Suns are sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, a 2028 pick swap for Durant and TJ Warren, sources tell ESPN. Durant wanted move and new owner Mat Ishbia pushed to get deal done tonight. https://t.co/fqFUMIDllo
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
It’s been years since Crowder has been worth holding in season-long leagues, so I wouldn’t rush to pick him up. Given his heavy minutes, he could be worth picking up if he’s efficient enough from three-point range.
As things stand, the Nets have an incredibly busy rotation. Nic Claxton, Mikal Bridges, and Spencer Dinwiddie appear to be the only players with a clear path to 30+ minutes every game.
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