Aussie impact as Durant move shakes NBA landscape
Murray Wenzel |
Ben Simmons’ All-Star mates are disappearing from Brooklyn and Jock Landale’s Phoenix are suddenly stacked after Kevin Durant’s reported move rocked the NBA’s trade period.
Former MVP and 13-time All-Star Durant’s expected move to the Phoenix Suns ahead of the Friday (AEDT) trade deadline follows teammate Kyrie Irving’s switch to Dallas two days ago.
It leaves the much-scrutinised Simmons without the company of the two superstars who had backed him to prove the doubters wrong after his controversial exit from Philadelphia.
New Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s first major play just hours after taking over will see Durant and TJ Warren head to Phoenix to join Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
Australian forward Jock Landale is there too, with last year’s best regular-season team currently holding a 30-25 record in a middling campaign but now a genuine force in the west once Durant returns from a knee injury.
In return the Nets get Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, a 2028 pick swap and four first-round picks between 2023 and 2029 from the Suns.
Brooklyn, who traded James Harden to the 76ers to acquire Simmons last season, had moved within one win of top spot in the east before Durant was injured.
But they are now fifth in their conference with a 32-22 record, their original big three all departed and Simmons’ role still under the spotlight given his lack of offensive output despite Durant’s absence.
When Irving heard news of Durant’s move he said: “I’m just glad that he got out of there.”
He added: “We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like.
“There was still a level of uncertainty but we just cared about seeing each other be places that we can thrive.”
Elsewhere, the Los Angeles Lakers are set to trade former MVP Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz and acquire guard D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota in a three-team, eight-player NBA deal.
The Lakers are also getting guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz, bolstering their core around LeBron James in a bid to jump-start their sputtering season.
The Lakers fell to 25-30 on Tuesday while James set the NBA’s career scoring record, and they sit in 13th place in the 15-team Western Conference.
ESPN and The Athletic first reported the three-team trade deal ahead.
It comes after the Lakers tried to secure Irving from Brooklyn before he was traded to Dallas.
Those outlets also said Minnesota are getting Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Utah, along with three second-round picks.
The Lakers, in danger of missing the playoffs for a second straight season, are sending Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and their first-round pick in 2027 to Utah with Westbrook.
Westbrook, the 2017 NBA MVP, never thrived with James and injury-plagued Anthony Davis and fans grumbled regularly about his poor shooting and turnovers.
With AP
AP
