Even as the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns were working on a Kevin Durant trade, both teams were active in trade talks with other teams that would have dramatically altered the trajectories of each franchise.
The Nets pursued OG Anunoby with the Toronto Raptors and also John Collins with the Atlanta Hawks, and even Caris LeVert with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brooklyn continued to seek a trade that would give Durant a reason to want to stay with the franchise, but eventually they realized moving him was an inevitability.
The Suns were in conversations with the Hawks and Detroit Pistons about a three-way trade for Collins. Phoenix nearly pivoted to that three-way trade for Collins until Mat Ishbia had James Jones reach out again to Sean Marks about a Durant trade. Ishbia and Joe Tsai then worked on piecing together the final elements of the trade.
The Suns had tried to keep Mikal Bridges out of the deal, but that was a nonstarter for Brooklyn.
The final sticking point was resolved when the Suns agreed to take Dario Saric out of the deal and spare extra second round picks that would have accounted for the Nets taking on his salary.