Kevin Durant broke NBA Twitter recently by earning a trade to the Phoenix Suns. Fans of his new team will be bursting with anticipation.
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It seems like a lifetime ago that Kevin Durant played for the OKC Thunder last. The 2015-16 season was the last time when the Slim Reaper was universally beloved.
However, he was universally criticized for coming up short in 3 series-deciding games against Golden State that year. He made the PR blunder of signing with the team that beat him not long after that.
2 championships and 3 Finals runs later, there wasn’t much left for KD to prove in a basketball sense. He decided to look for a new challenge for himself, joining hands with Kyrie in Brooklyn.
However, after 3-and-a-half tumultuous seasons in the Big Apple, that era is now done for. Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks this past weekend, while KD joined the Suns last night.
The Nets are trading Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns for a package including Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round picks and additional draft compensation, league sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. https://t.co/fJoFHv3i7M
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2023
Is Kevin Durant playing tonight vs Atlanta Hawks?
The reasons for KD not taking the court at the State Farm Arena tonight are twofold. One is that the league offices are yet to be handed in the final paperwork on this groundbreaking trade.
Moreover, even if the formalities were to be forced through before tip-off, Durant has been nursing an ankle injury since the past month – one he suffered in freak fashion against the Miami Heat.
The Phoenix Suns are acquiring Kevin Durant.
It is the biggest trade in franchise history so by default it becomes the biggest gamble in franchise history.
The price matches the precedent.
On KD’s greatness, the risk/reward and much more: https://t.co/H9ByGVdcW4
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) February 9, 2023
Phoenix will also not have Devin Booker in action for this game. Booker missed 6 weeks’ worth of games after suffering a groin injury in late December. His health is being managed as the Suns possess a 9-2 record in their last 11 games.
Kevin Durant’s stats this season
Prior to his injury that proved to be franchise-altering for the Brooklyn Nets, KD was putting up some truly unfathomable numbers this season. He was having possibly the most efficient mid-range shooting season of his career at that point.
Through the season, Durant is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while shooting a career-high 55.9% from the field and 93.4% from the free throw line.
