Will the Kevin Durant Trade be a Bust for the Suns?
The big news in the NBA this week (or at least one of numerous big stories) was the trade between the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets. Kevin Durant, one of the best players in NBA history is heading to the Valley. Meanwhile, the Nets have been abandoned like a burning dumpster fire.
The Nets' implosion was entirely foreseeable from the start. However, the Suns' prospects are vastly different. Many NBA analysts (and bettors) think Phoenix is now a legitimate favourite to reach this year's NBA finals. That's quite a leap in confidence for a team that's been floundering much of the season and was just a few games over the .500 mark a few weeks ago. Is one trade really such a game changer?
Notice the odds at Spreads.ca have changed significantly since the trade deadline has passed. The Suns, who had been priced as low as 17.00 recently, are now 5.50 and are favoured to win the Western Conference!
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Not everyone in Phoenix thinks the Suns' trade for Durant is a good idea. Here's one of the most interesting alternative takes on the blockbuster deal from Phil Boas at Arizona Central:
If I'm wrong about Kevin Durant joining the Phoenix Suns, I'll eat my words. But I've seen this movie many times before.
Someone needs to stay sober while all the Kevin Durant excitement moves from hoopla to hype to cultural takeover.
“Phoenix is on fire right now,” Charles Barkley said.
The oddsmakers in Las Vegas are picking the Suns to win the NBA Western Conference and challenge the Boston Celtics or Milwaukee Bucks for the title.
This may be the worst trade in Arizona sports history, and that’s a very high bar.
This is the city that traded pitcher Max Scherzer and three other players to the Detroit Tigers for Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson. You may have heard of Scherzer. He went on to win three Cy Young Awards, pitch two no-hitters and win a World Series.
The Arizona Cardinals did this with Emmett Smith, the great Dallas Cowboys running back. He came here when he was 33. He retired at age 35. In between he broke his shoulder blade.
J.J. Watt, the hulking defensive lineman with the Houston Texans became a Cardinal at 32. He retired at 33. He was injured much of the time he was here.
In 2011, the Cardinals signed Todd Heap, a great NFL tight end. His tank was nearly empty. He played two-injury plagued seasons before he was released in 2012.
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed World Series legend Madison Bumgarner past his prime for $85 million. He has never returned to his former glory.
Some will say, what about Charles Barkley? He played a lot of good years in Philadelphia, then came to Phoenix and transformed the Suns. Charles Barkley was 29 when he came to Phoenix. He retired with the Houston Rockets at 36.
Kevin Durant is 34. He has a recent history of injuries and many missed games. Though paired recently with two other superstars, he was not able to get the Brooklyn Nets beyond the Eastern Conference playoffs.
These are the prices you pay for a 28-year-old Durant, not an injury-prone 34-year-old.
The Phoenix Suns are one tendon tear from auctioning off their next decade.
The many excellent points raised here are impossible to ignore. This isn't just a risky trade. It's potentially disastrous. At best, the Durant deal gives the Suns only a few seasons to win a championship. For Phoenix, the future is now.
Note: Read the full article HERE.
