Kevin Durant and former Indiana Pacers wing TJ Warren traded to Phoenix Suns; deal impacts Pacers

Durant being traded to Phoenix is one of the biggest in-season trades in NBA history

Kevin Durant and former Indiana Pacers wing TJ Warren have been traded to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and significant draft compensation. It is one of the most impactful mid-season trades the NBA has ever seen.

Durant is one of the best 15 or so players in league history, but after the Brooklyn Nets decided to move on from Kyrie Irving earlier this week, it made all the sense in the world for the franchise to lean into a rebuild. Moving on from Durant lets Brooklyn head into a new era of Nets basketball.

Every significant trade like this in the NBA essentially impacts every team, and this one is no different. The Pacers are impacted in a few ways by this deal.

The most direct impact on the blue and gold is that technically they are involved in the deal. In the end, the Durant trade ended up involving Indiana, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Phoenix, with Jae Crowder being the piece passed from team to team. Crowder wound up in Milwaukee, and the Pacers received three players and draft assets for taking on some salary from the Bucks. Indiana ended up with Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, three second round picks, and cash considerations. The deal is explained here.

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The Nets, by trading Durant, will be worse. That decreases the likelihood that they catch the Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings, meaning Cleveland's playoff odds likely went up as a result of this deal. The Pacers get the Cavaliers first round pick in 2023 if Cleveland doesn't end up in the draft lottery, so this trade (along with the Irving deal) increases the blue and gold's chances of receiving the late first round pick.

The Suns, meanwhile, got significantly better. They are currently five games behind the Cavaliers in the standings, but have the talent to catch them by the end of the season. That could slide Cleveland's pick down a slot, which would help Indiana, but that may be wishful thinking at this late stage of the campaign.

The Pacers have a sizable amount of assets to potentially make a massive trade down the line, but the Nets acquired enough pieces in this deal that they could be a team Indiana has to compete with in a potential star trade in the future. There are many layers to this deal that impact the blue and gold.

Former Pacer T.J. Warren, who was excellent for the franchise in the NBA bubble, is headed back to a Phoenix team that drafted him in 2014. A different former Pacer, Edmond Sumner, was teammates with Warren in Brooklyn for some of this season and discussed the forward with All Pacers in November. "It's kinda the same... T.J. is still the same guy," Sumner said of his relationship with Warren. "Still doesn't say much, but that's my guy."

The Pacers got some useful pieces and draft assets at the trade deadline without sacrificing much long-term value. It was a good move for the blue and gold, yet they will still feel some external ripple effects.

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• Why a contract extension made sense for the Indiana Pacers and Myles Turner. CLICK HERE.
• Full trade: Indiana Pacers acquire Jordan Nwora, George Hill, Serge Ibaka, three second-round picks, and cash for draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet. CLICK HERE.
• Source: Indiana Pacers to waive forward Terry Taylor. CLICK HERE.
• Daniel Theis debuted for the Indiana Pacers and showed how he can help the team. CLICK HERE.
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