Did the Phoenix Suns give away too much to land Kevin Durant?
The precedent has been set
While Durant being traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix is certainly the biggest player relocation of this season, it is certainly not the first time a player of his magnitude has been moved. Let’s take a look at three memorable trades from NBA history involving a superstar and a multitude of other players.
Charles Barkley to the Phoenix Suns
In 1992 Charles Barkley was fed up with the Philadelphia 76ers. After enjoying annual contention as a young player who joined a roster that already featured Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney and Maurice Cheeks, Barkley was now a part of a losing franchise. At 29-years-old he was still a dominant player and his summer with the Dream Team made him that much more eager to win. That summer Barkley was traded to the Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry. Hornacek was a good player, but he was miserable in Philadelphia and eventually made his way to the Utah Jazz where he continued to contribute at a high level and helped them reach the NBA Finals twice. On the other hand, Lang and Perry never made headlines again. Meanwhile Barkley had his lone MVP season his first year in Phoenix and led the franchise back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1976. Needless to say, Phoenix won this trade.
Alonzo Mourning to the Miami Heat
In 1995, Alonzo Mourning was unhappy with the Charlotte Hornets’ front office. They had recently given star Power Forward Larry Johnson a record setting contract extension. The young center from Georgetown felt that he deserved just as much if not more money than “Grandmama!” Pat Riley, who was trying to duplicate the success he had as Head Coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, noticed the disgruntled big man and decided to swoop in. Riley traded away promising young forward Glen Rice, along with journeymen Matt Geiger and Khalid Reeves to obtain Mourning’s services. Rice went on to be an All-Star for Charlotte, but Mourning became a franchise cornerstone for Miami. Along with Tim Hardaway, he led the Heat all the way to the Conference Finals in 1997. He left the team once he was past his prime, however, he returned to the franchise in his final season and helped them win their first NBA Championship in 2006. Needless to say, Miami won this
trade.
Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks
When Carmelo Anthony joined the Denver Nuggets as a rookie in 2003, he instantly became one of the best offensive players in the league and the focal point of a playoff team. However, his disagreements with head coach George Karl are the stuff of legend. Ultimately, by 2011, the team decided it was time to move on from Anthony as he and Karl were never going to coexist peaceably. Carmelo and Chauncey Billups were traded to the New York Knicks just after the All-Star break for four players, three draft picks and $3 million in cash. As a result, the Knicks would enjoy a few winning regular season records and advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs once during the ‘Melo era. Denver on the other hand had some up-and-down years and missed the playoffs intermittently. Some might call this trade a draw. Given the three examples above, it is very hard to get equal value or similar results when trading away a superstar player. Now let’s examine the Durant trade a little more closely.