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Philadelphia 76ers Rival Brooklyn Nets Trade Away Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is out of the East.
Justin Grasso|
Philadelphia 76ers Rival Brooklyn Nets Trade Away Kevin Durant
Philadelphia 76ers Rival Brooklyn Nets Trade Away Kevin Durant

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Philadelphia 76ersBrooklyn NetsPhoenix Suns

Philadelphia 76ers' Atlantic Division rival, the Brooklyn Nets, pulled off another blockbuster move ahead of the Thursday afternoon deadline.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Nets will officially cut ties with the former MVP, Kevin Durant, as they intend to trade him to the Phoenix Suns.

Durant, who requested a trade back in the summer, felt the Nets weren’t on the same page as him. However, after weeks of speculation, Durant and the Nets repaired their relationship and agreed to move forward without a trade.

Fast forward months later, and that’s no longer the case. Just days after moving on from the All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, the Nets are trading away Durant.

The Trade Details

The Suns will receive Durant and the veteran TJ Warren.

The Nets will pick up former Sixers draft pick Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 pick swap, according to Wojnarowski. 

The Impact on the East

With Durant and Irving on board, the Nets were one of the Eastern Conference’s most notable contenders. After they traded away Irving, the Nets lost a significant playmaker and scorer in their backcourt.

And with Durant now out of the picture, the Nets lose one of the NBA’s best scorers. The Nets still possess talent this year, but it’s clear they might be headed towards a re-tool phase as they no longer possess an All-Star with the departures of Irving and Durant.

Currently, the Nets hold a 32-22 record. They are the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, two spots behind the 76ers. While Brooklyn could still remain in the playoff picture this season, it’s unclear just how much of a threat they’ll be without two notable All-Stars on board.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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