Did Suns Really Lose Kevin Durant Trade?

The Phoenix Suns received a good mark for the trade, but not as strong as Brooklyn.

Apr 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) celebrate against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- It has been 18 months since the Phoenix Suns made a historically daring and significant move for NBA legend Kevin Durant in a mid-season blockbuster. Now feels like a good time to revisit the move as well - at least according to some analysts.

Bleacher Report NBA writer Dan Favale believes the Suns decidedly lost the trade with the Brooklyn Nets, but they weren't given a bad mark despite the verdict.

Let's briefly revisit the trade details to refresh some minds:

Nets Receive: Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson, 2023 first-round pick (Noah Cowney), 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2028 first-round swap, 2029 first-round pick

Suns Receive: Kevin Durant, T.J. Warren

The Nets were given a resounding A+ for more or less choosing the perfect time to capitalize on Durant's value and for restocking a previously bare draft asset pool.

The Suns were given a B for their efforts in the re-grade.

Favale understands why some could be miffed by the current position the franchise is in - and believes the move for Durant is largely to blame.

If you're at all peeved by Phoenix's current position, the Durant trade must be viewed as the organization's cardinal sin. The Suns weren't doing better in a vacuum with the assets they gave up to land Bradley Beal, and Deandre Ayton was never going to fetch a king's ransom. The Durant deal is what drained their asset pool and set the stage for them to even further mortgage their future.

- Favale on the trade for Durant

Despite the shaky results thus far, Favale ultimately believes that the process is more important, along with it not being a done deal that Phoenix will remain stuck in neutral.

Catastrophizing this move with the benefit of hindsight is nevertheless an overreaction. The Suns knew they were shortening their overall window in hopes of opening one with access to title contention. Though last season was rife with twists and turns and joylessness, they managed to eke out nearly 50 victories. Durant's stock isn't any lower now than before, except he's a year-and-change older, and the roster features more optionality following the emergence of Grayson Allen, acquisition of Royce O'Neale and highway-robbery signing of Tyus Jones.

For as unsettled as the Suns' place in the contender ranks may be, and fail though they did to win any detail of the Brooklyn negotiations, we can continue to map out a path to championship territory. Their grade cannot be dragged down too far unless (or until) that changes.

- Favale on potential payoff of trade

The "glass is half full" point of view is probably a wise path to take here, as the Suns had a disastrous 2023-24 season by all accounts - and still managed to finish an insanely difficult final 10 games with a 7-3 record en route to a 49-win regular season.

They also did a quality job of adding cost-controlled youthful talent, along with restocking the roster with pure point guards and retaining previously reliable floor spacers.

The Suns are unlikely to enter this regular season as consensus title contenders, but the infrastructure is there to take a step forward - and ultimately be in the thick of the Western Conference race.