Getty Kevin Durant and Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.
The Phoenix Suns made the splash of the trade deadline this year when they added Kevin Durant. They shipped out Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, and four first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for the superstar, forming their own version of a super team.
Now, they’ll make a run at a championship with a Big 3 of Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul, a group of players Durant is excited to work with. During a recent edition of his podcast, The ETCs, Durant spoke about how excited he is to play with Booker.
“I just like his work ethic,” Durant explained. “I remember seeing him in college, I loved his form on his jump shot at a young age. So, I was like, I can tell he’s been working on his game. And so, just following them over the years, just seeing how quickly he developed. His IQ for the game. He understands the game. So, I like guys that can score from all areas of the floor, and being around somebody that works like that and that cares about the game like that is only going to help me. So, I’m looking forward to being around him.”
Durant and Booker have had experience playing together, as they were both a part of Team USA two summers ago, winning a Gold Medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, the two stars will have a chance to compete alongside one another in the NBA.
Phoenix made the NBA Finals with this same core (minus Bridges and Johnson, obviously) just two seasons ago. With Durant paired next to Booker and Paul, they will have a serious chance to repeat that success and make a run to the Finals once again.
However, as they enter the latter portion of the season, every game will be crucial. They are involved in a huge Western Conference playoff race, and if they want to earn a good seed, they need to finish strong.
Kevin Durant Could Lure Carmelo Anthony to Suns
As the Suns prepare their roster to make a run at the Finals, they could look to make more additions. They landed TJ Warren alongside Durant in the blockbuster deadline deal, and on top of that, they managed to sign veteran wing Terrence Ross after he hit the buyout market.
However, based on Durant’s recent comments at All-Star weekend, there’s a chance that the Suns could look to target 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony to help bolster their bench.
“Yeah, most definitely,” Durant said via @MeloCentral on Twitter when asked whether or not Anthony could still play in the NBA. “I think he still has the talent to play in our league.”
Mikal Bridges Discusses Kevin Durant Trade
After being traded by the Suns in the deal that landed Durant, Bridges discussed the move. He said that, while he thinks he’s a better defender than Durant, he can’t blame Phoenix for wanting to add a star of his caliber.
“You get TJ [Warren] and [Kevin Durant],” Bridges told JJ Redick on The Old Man & The Three podcast. “I feel like KD don’t affect [the game] the defensive end as much as me. But he can still guard and we’re all team defense anyway so. You got coach [Monty Williams] that’s going to make everything great and…they all play for each other. But then also you get 30 [points] a game. So now I’m looking at them like, ‘I like it’…The new owner came in and what they’re trying to do, it makes the most sense. I understand they’re trying to win now.”