The Phoenix Suns are the new benchmark team in the NBA. They have strengthened themselves in the market and closed several important deals Thursday. An agreement with the Brooklyn Nets for the transfer of Kevin Durant makes them the big winners in a transfer market, which has been frantic at closing time.
The arrival of one of the best players in the League allows them to climb the step that they lacked in 2021 when they fell in the final against the Milwaukee Bucks. This arrival makes them as followed as the best online casino games and positions them as one of the main favorites for the ring next year.
The addition of Durant, 34, with two NBA rings during his time with the Golden State Warriors, is the best possible letter of introduction for businessman Mat Ishbia, who has just assumed ownership of the Suns and also of the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA for $4 billion.
The best thing for the Suns is that they incorporate Durant into their roster without having to part with any of their stars. Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and DeAndre Ayton will still be around, which will allow them to complete a luxury starting lineup.
Mavs Move The Market
Dallas Mavericks is another of the franchises that have come out clearly strengthened from this winter market. The arrival of Kyrie Irving has triggered the possibilities of the team of the Slovenian star Kyrie Irving at a competitive level, despite the price paid for the operation, with the departure of Spencer Dinwiddie or Dorian Finney-Smith, in addition to several draft picks.
The arrival of the controversial Australian base also supposes a relative risk for the franchise owned by Mark Cuban, currently running in the middle of the Western Conference. If the chemistry between Irving and Doncic works out, the Mavs can compete for the conference finals. Otherwise, Irving’s contract ends this summer, and he could be released.
On a second level, several teams have managed to improve their dressing rooms in this market. This is the case of the Lakers, who, in the short term, have achieved a competitive squad to fight for the playoffs. To surround LeBron James and Anthony Davis, they have brought in D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba, and Davon Reed .
They are all players who add outside shooting and athleticism to a squad in need of punch. The Lakers, in return, have managed to send Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-way operation also with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which has received Mike Conley. Westbrook’s time in Los Angeles has been far from what was expected.
The Clippers have also added arsenal to their roster with new second-unit players like Mason Plumlee, Eric Gordon, and Bones Hyland in exchange for losing Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard, and John Wall. Milwaukee, with a more than balanced roster, has been reinforced by Jae Crowder to give more experience and physique to the team led by Giannis Antetokounmpo.
More Movements On The Way
Serge Ibaka is the only one of the Spanish players in the NBA involved in trades. The Bucks included him in a trade with the Nets and Indiana Pacers, bringing Crowder to Milwaukee and the 33-year-old Spanish-Congolese center to Indiana. But this team intends to release Ibaka from the contract, allowing him to negotiate his future as a free agent.
The Nets must inevitably be included in the list of losers at the end of the market, a franchise that has lost all its hallmarks and that will be forced to completely rebuild itself with the consecutive departures of Irving and Durant, without that no top-level player has given them in return.
The Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Miami Heat had important names with market interest that would have allowed them to reinforce their rosters for higher aspirations. However, none of these teams was able to close an operation in the last hours. That doesn’t mean the deal-making and trading are over, as teams will continue to shuffle around players well into the next season.
