Kevin Durant was sent to the Phoenix Suns in an early-morning deal ahead of the NBA’s trade deadline on Thursday, just hours after his former Brooklyn Nets teammate Kyrie Irving’s Dallas Mavericks debut.
Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder were acquired by Brooklyn, along with four first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap, in the trade — and perhaps Bridges best captured the NBA world’s immediate reaction to the deal.
Oh my god lol
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) February 9, 2023
Durant will likely join Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton and Torrey Craig in the Suns’ projected starting lineup after the All-Star break.
Talk about shaking up the Western Conference.
This all because @JaMorant said he was good in the West 😂😂😂
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) February 9, 2023
Trades happening in the dark of the night!😅
— Grant Williams (@Grant2Will) February 9, 2023
Sick world getting traded at 1:30 in the AM lol
— kuz (@kylekuzma) February 9, 2023
🤣🤣 https://t.co/7NpD3epBf8
— Jusuf Nurkić (@bosnianbeast27) February 9, 2023
The west is getting crazy lol
— Jose Alvarado (@AlvaradoJose15) February 9, 2023
If you start using the suns on 2k now ur the problem
— Chet Holmgren (@ChetHolmgren) February 9, 2023
Oh wow
— Jalen Ramsey (@jalenramsey) February 9, 2023
I can’t even go to sleep bruh😂
— RJ (@RjHampton14) February 9, 2023
With Durant and Irving out of Brooklyn, this marks the first time a team had two All-Stars on a roster to start a season and then both players changed teams later in the season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Irving scored 24 points in a 110-104 win over the Clippers in his Wednesday night debut with the Mavs.
Players were stunned by how the end of the era played out and cited the fabled script of the NBA at work again.
The @NBA script is the best drama on tv
— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) February 9, 2023
Script crazy lol
— Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) February 9, 2023
The next chapter of the duo’s relationship will be written on March 5 when the Mavericks and Suns play each other on ABC.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this story.