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NBA market: Durant goes to Phoenix, Westbrook to Jazz – Basket

There are just a few hours left until the NBA market closes: not only Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, but after the maxi-three-way exchange between the Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves that brings Russell Westbrook to Utah, the news of the night is Kevin Durant’s move to the Phoenix suns. The long-awaited transfer move by the Los Angeles Lakers has finally arrived.

As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the yellow and purples concluded a three-way trade that brought shooter Malik Beasley and rebounder Jarred Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz to Los Angeles, but above all brought point guard D’Angelo Russell back to LA. Second overall pick in the 2015 Draft, Russell had played his first two seasons in the league in yellow and purple when he was 19, then being traded to Brooklyn and then moving on to Golden State and Minnesota.

Taking the reverse path towards Utah are Russell Westbrook (who in all probability will be cut by the Jazz), Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones, even if the Jazz’s goal was above all the choice in the 2027 Draft of the Lakers, who the yellow-purples managed to protect 1-4 (i.e. he will remain in LA if he is in one of the first four positions, otherwise he will go to the Jazz; if the pick is among the first four, the choice is immediately converted into a second always at the Draft 2027). Completing the three-way swap are Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker who move from the Jazz to the Timberwolves, who also receive three second picks in the Draft (the most favorable between Memphis and Washington in 2024, Utah in 2025 and 2026 ).

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