FILE PHOTO: Jan 6, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) reaches in to grab the ball against Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
(Reuters) - The Brooklyn Nets have traded All-Star forward Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns in a swap deal that includes four other players and future first-round picks, American media reported on Thursday.
ESPN reported two-times NBA champion Durant and TJ Warren would head to Phoenix while Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder would move the other way along with first-round draft picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 plus a 2028 pick swap.
The move comes two days after Mat Ishbia, the billionaire president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage, completed the purchase of the Suns and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury for $4 billion.
The trade ends Durant's unhappy three-year stint in Brooklyn where he was sidelined in his first season due to injury while he never got close to winning the championship despite being teamed up with Kyrie Irving and James Harden.
While Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, Irving moved to the Dallas Mavericks earlier this week, bringing the curtains down on Brooklyn's 'Big Three' experiment.
"We had a lot of conversations throughout the year of what our futures were going to look like," Irving said after his Mavericks debut on Wednesday.
"There was still a level of uncertainty, but we just cared about seeing each other be in places that we can thrive and whether that be together or whether that be apart.
"This business changes so quickly. He's getting a little bit older, I'm getting a little bit older... I just am glad that he got out of there."
Durant, who has not played in the last four weeks and missed 14 games due to a sprained knee ligament, will now team up with fellow All-Stars Chris Paul and Devin Booker in the hopes of winning his first NBA title since 2018.
Durant, 34, won back-to-back championships with the Golden State Warriors where he was also named NBA Finals MVP in both title-winning seasons.
Both the Nets and the Suns are fifth in their respective conferences. The trade deadline is 3 p.m. ET on Thursday
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
