Nobody is fine in the West. In a matter of mere days, the Western Conference gave Luka Doncic and the Mavericks Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Anthony Davis the exact pieces needed for a Playoff push, and perhaps one of the biggest trades in NBA history; Kevin Durant has made his way to the Phoenix Suns from Brooklyn.
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The situation in Brooklyn regarding the front office’s relationship with KD wasn’t as toxic as it was with Kyrie. However, with KD being the lone superstar on the roster, he simply wanted out and both sides worked towards getting a trade that worked for both camps.
Looks like getting 4 unprotected FRPs and a litany of incredible 3&D specialists did the trick as the Western Conference is loaded to the brim with talent after what seemed like a lackluster pool of talent. Teams most affected by these trades are ones who haven’t upgraded their rosters as of yet such as the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors.
Ja Morant is to blame for the Kevin Durant news according to CJ McCollum
Ja Morant, a man who is extremely confident in his abilities as a basketball, said the biggest challenge the Memphis Grizzlies have is the Boston Celtics. When asked about his competition in the Western Conference, Ja simply said, “I’m fine in the West.”
This was towards the end of December. Since then, three new legitimate title contenders have emerged in the West. Kevin Durant teaming up with Devin Booker, Chris Paul, and Deandre Ayton puts the entire balance of the NBA in a blender.
CJ McCollum, the NBPA President, hilariously tweeted out what everybody has been thinking this whole time and that’s that this is all Ja’s fault for jinxing just how mediocre the West was.
This all because @JaMorant said he was good in the West 😂😂😂
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) February 9, 2023
Obviously, this is all a joke but the fact that in a span of a couple months, saying ‘I’m fine in the West’ would backfire this much is quite noteworthy to say the least.
Kyrie Irving on the Kevin Durant trade
Media members were quick to jump the gun and ask Kyrie Irving, KD’s former teammate on the Nets, how he felt about Kevin Durant being traded from the Nets to the Suns. He would shut the question down for the time being, asking the media to question him about the Mavs win first.
After having talked about his Dallas debut, Kyrie went on to say that him and Durant did have talks about their uncertainty about their future in Brooklyn. He would end his well wishes towards the 2x NBA champion by saying he’s glad Durant got away from the Nets organization.
“I’m just glad he got out of there”
Kyrie on KD being traded 👀 pic.twitter.com/JNtI5vnXoG
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 9, 2023