The Brooklyn Nets' short-lived and ill-fated superteam era officially came to a close late on Wednesday night when they agreed to a trade that will send Kevin Durant (and TJ Warren) to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jae Crowder, unprotected first-round picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 and a pick-swap in 2028.
When the Nets pulled off a coup in 2019 by convincing both Durant and Kyrie Irving to sign as free agents in the same summer, they had dreams of championship parades rolling down Atlantic Avenue. Those visions only got clearer when they acquired James Harden in a blockbuster deal in January 2021.
A global pandemic, injuries, multiple head coaches and various Irving controversies later, the Nets end this experiment with a single playoff series win and perhaps the greatest collection of what-ifs in NBA history. Now that all three of their superstars are gone, here's a look at what the Nets got in return for Durant, Irving and Harden.
Harden the first to go
The first domino to fall was Harden, who was reportedly fed up with Irving's antics. Though he didn't publicly demand a trade, he quit on the court and gave the Nets little choice but to move him, which they eventually did on Feb. 10, 2022, barely more than a year after he arrived.
Here's a look back at that full deal:
Nets receive
- Ben Simmons (still on the team)
- Seth Curry (still on the team)
- Andre Drummond (left in free agency)
- Sixers' 2023 first-round pick (unprotected)
- Sixers' 2027 first-round pick (protected 1-8)
Nets send out
- James Harden
- Paul Millsap
Irving says he wants out
After discussions about a contract extension broke down, Irving told the team he wanted to be traded ahead of the deadline. With the talented but mercurial guard certain to walk in free agency this summer, the Nets moved quickly to find a deal and sent him to the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 5.
Nets receive
- Spencer Dinwiddie (still on the team)
- Dorian Finney-Smith (still on the team)
- Mavericks' 2029 first-round pick (unprotected)
- Mavericks' 2027 and 2029 second-round picks
Nets send out
- Kyrie Irving
- Markieff Morris
Durant brings things to an end
Once Irving was traded, it felt like just a matter of time until Durant was gone as well, especially considering he had asked for a trade last summer. Both parties decided to just cut the cord now rather than wait for the summer, and the Nets sent him to the Suns -- reportedly his preferred destination when he originally asked out.
Nets receive
- Mikal Bridges (still on the team)
- Cam Johnson (still on the team)
- Jae Crowder (still on the team)
- Suns' 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks (all unprotected)
- Right to first-round pick swap with Suns in 2028
Nets send out
- Kevin Durant
- TJ Warren
In total, the Nets turned three future Hall of Famers into seven players who remain on the team as of Wednesday night, six unprotected first-round picks, one protected first round pick, one first-round pick swap and two second-round picks. The only All-Star among that group of players is Simmons, who is now a shell of himself. Laying out all three trades is a stark reminder that the team that gives up the superstar in a trade almost never comes out the winner.
Though the Nets are well stocked on picks for the future, and could acquire even more of them if they choose to trade some of the veteran role players on the roster, their days at the top of the Eastern Conference are over.
