NBA trade deadline 2023 fallout: When will Kevin Durant make his Phoenix Suns debut?
Three-time Olympic gold medallist Durant expected to make Suns debut after the All-Star break due to knee injury.
Basketball
Kevin Durant joined the Phoenix Suns from the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday (9 February) just before the end of the 2023 NBA trade deadline.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist, who became Team USA's leading scorer in men's Olympic basketball at the Tokyo 2020 Games, and forward TJ Warren have moved to Phoenix with Brooklyn receiving three players, four future first-round draft picks and further draft compensation in return.
It came days after the Nets traded fellow All-Star Kyrie Irving to Dallas.
The Mavericks' new signing shone on debut on Wednesday - with the injured Luka Doncic cheering from the bench - scoring 24 points in the victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.
Phoenix rise to NBA title contention
It has been a big week for Phoenix with Mat Ishbia becoming the franchise's new majority owner on Tuesday.
He also acquired the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
And Ishbia wasted precious little time in making his presence felt by moving for arguably the NBA's biggest star outside LeBron James.
Durant joins fellow Olympic gold medallists Chris Paul and Devin Booker in Phoenix with Bahamian centre DeAndre Ayton also in a star-studded roster.
The Suns have reached three NBA Finals (1976, 1993, 2021) but lost on all three occasions, most recently to the Milwaukee Bucks.
But the arrival of 'KD' - a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors - could see them finally break their duck.
They will have to wait for Durant to make his debut with the 13-time All-Star currently recovering from a sprained knee ligament which has kept him out of a month.
The 34-year-old will probably return to action after the All-Star break with the Suns hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder on 24 February.
The Footprint Center, aka the Purple Palace, will no doubt be a sell-out for Durant's debut.
The Suns are currently 30-27 and in good shape to make the post-season.