Summary
The Kevin Durant trade to the Phoenix Suns on February 9, 2023, is the foundational transaction of the Brooklyn Nets rebuild. The original return — Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, 4 unprotected Suns firsts, and a 2028 swap — has since branched in multiple directions. Bridges was flipped to the Knicks for 4 more firsts. Cam Johnson was traded to Denver for Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first. However, the Nets also traded some of the Suns picks to Houston in a June 2024 restructure, reducing the total haul. The net result is still extraordinary: multiple first-round picks, 2 swaps, and MPJ from one trade.
Key Insights
- Original return: Bridges + Cam Johnson + 4 unprotected Suns firsts (2023, 2025, 2027, 2029) + 2028 swap
- Bridges flipped to Knicks (July 2024): 4 Knicks firsts (2025, 2027, 2029, 2031) + 2028 swap + 2025 MIL protected first
- Cam Johnson flipped to Denver (July 2025): Michael Porter Jr. + 2032 Denver first
- Important: 2027 PHX first was traded to Houston (June 2024) as part of a pick restructure — not all original Suns picks remain with Brooklyn
- The 2025 PHX first was used in the 2025 draft
- The 2029 PHX first is still owed to the Nets (unprotected)
Details
The Original Trade (February 9, 2023)
Nets sent: Kevin Durant
Nets received:
- Mikal Bridges → traded to Knicks (July 2024)
- Cam Johnson → traded to Denver (July 2025)
- Jalen Smith
- 2023 PHX 1st (unprotected) — used in 2023 draft
- 2025 PHX 1st (unprotected) — used in 2025 draft
- 2027 PHX 1st (unprotected) — traded to Houston (June 2024)
- 2029 PHX 1st (unprotected) — still owed to Nets
- 2028 PHX pick swap — swap right traded to Houston (June 2024)
The Bridges Flip (July 6, 2024)
Nets sent: Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop
Nets received:
- Bojan Bogdanovic (expiring, bought out)
- Shake Milton (sign-and-trade)
- 2025 MIL 1st (protected)
- 2025 NYK 1st — became pick #26, used on Ben Saraf
- 2027 NYK 1st (unprotected) — still owed
- 2028 NYK pick swap
- 2029 NYK 1st (unprotected) — still owed
- 2031 NYK 1st (unprotected) — still owed
The Cam Johnson Flip (July 8, 2025)
Nets sent: Cameron Johnson
Nets received:
- Michael Porter Jr. (24.2 PPG, franchise scorer)
- 2032 DEN 1st — still owed
The Houston Restructure (June 26, 2024)
Some KD-origin Suns picks were redirected to Houston:
Nets sent to Houston:
- 2027 PHX 1st (from KD trade)
- 2029 1st-round pick
- 2029 swap right
- 2025 PHX swap right
Nets received from Houston:
- Own 2026 1st-round pick returned
- Houston relinquished 2025 BKN swap right
What Remains from the KD Tree
Still on roster:
- Michael Porter Jr. — via Cam Johnson → Denver trade
- Ben Saraf — drafted #26 with Knicks 2025 pick
First-round picks still owed:
| Year | Team | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Knicks | Unprotected 1st | Owed |
| 2028 | Knicks | Swap | Owed |
| 2029 | Suns | Unprotected 1st | Owed |
| 2029 | Knicks | Unprotected 1st | Owed |
| 2031 | Knicks | Unprotected 1st | Owed |
| 2032 | Denver | 1st | Owed |
Second-round picks from KD-related trades:
| Year | Source | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | BOS/IND/LAC/MIA via HOU | Seven-team KD trade (Jul 2025) |
| 2030 | BOS via HOU | Seven-team KD trade (Jul 2025) |
Related
Open Questions
- Was trading the 2027 Suns first to Houston worth getting the Nets' own 2026 pick back?
- When do the remaining Knicks picks start landing in the lottery?
- Has any single trade in NBA history produced more total value?