Former Suns Mikal Bridges/Cam Johnson Pass Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving Nets Milestone
The Phoenix Suns hope they can get proper dividends from the blockbuster trade that netted them Kevin Durant and T.J. Warren from the Brooklyn Nets.
The two sides - despite both being in the playoff picture in their respective conferences - are on two different ends of the spectrum.
Phoenix carries championship-or-bust expectations with Durant in a lineup that also features Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton. That's the nature of rolling the dice and selling valuable assets in strong players along with numerous draft picks for one of the greatest players to play the game.
In Brooklyn, things are a tad different.
The Nets were forced to hit the reset button by selling off players such as Durant and Kyrie Irving at the deadline after eventually moving on from James Harden.
The total sum of Irving/Durant's departure netted them Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson along with plentiful draft picks.
Those moves happened at the trade deadline. Just recently, Brooklyn's new trio has already played more minutes (400) than the once coveted Durant-Harden-Irving trifecta (365).
Durant's time in Brooklyn was hampered by injuries, something Suns fans are well aware of by now. Durant arrived with a sprained MCL and injured his ankle during pre-game warm-ups before his home debut. He's played just three games for Phoenix thus far and is expected to return to action Wednesday.
Irving's tenure with the Nets was headlined by numerous controversies, mostly occurring off the court.
It was a tough trade to make on both sides, but Bridges/Johnson have adjusted well to life in their new city.
Bridges especially has hit a new level in terms of scoring. He's crossed the 30-point threshold nine times since joining the Nets, two of which were over 40 points.
It's a trade both sides would make again if asked, though it's nice to see such coveted former Suns players making a difference for their new squad.
