Phoenix Suns Were Ready For John Collins Trade In Case Kevin Durant Deal Fell Apart

The NBA landscape is still reeling from the Phoenix Suns' blockbuster trade move that brought Kevin Durant to The Valley, but sources now reveal that they had a contingency plan which may have seen them getting John Collins–and potentially keeping a fan-favorite.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst was recently joined by colleague Kirk Goldsberry and 2023 Curt Gowdy Print Media Award winner Marc J. Spears on the "Hoop Collective" podcast, with the former revealing that they had done everything in their power to keep Mikal Bridges despite getting Durant.

"James Jones was moving on to a John Collins trade. Whether or not that was a leverage point against Brooklyn into moving, I don't know. The talks broke down and they had a John Collins trade ready to go. Matt Ishbia was like 'you know what, I don't want John Collins with all due respect. I want Kevin Durant' which is, of course, what everybody would want," Windhorst said.

"Obviously, the Suns did not want to include [Mikal] Bridges in that trade. Ultimately, they were okay with the draft picks, Cam Johnson [and] the [pick] swap… But I think James Jones would have preferred to go all the way down to 3 o'clock on Mikal Bridges. It didn't go down to 3 o'clock."

The massive deal certainly surprised everyone as few would have ever believed that the Nets would be trading Durant to the Suns despite the player asking for a trade during the offseason to Phoenix.

But against all odds, it finally happened and it appears that both sides have won the deal from their own perspectives.

The Brooklyn Nets were able to get arguably the best non-All-Star on the market in Bridges alongside the sweet-shooting Cameron Johnson and first-round picks in the 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029 drafts plus a pick swap in 2028.

Lovingly called "The Twins" by the Suns' fanbase, Bridges and Johnson are showcasing what they can do when they have carte blanche on offense.

Bridges set a new career-high in points (45) in their 11-point win over the Miami Heat on February 15 while shooting the ball at a blistering 70.8% as Johnson is on pace to set a career-high in points averaged this season with 14.7.

As for Durant, the Phoenix faithful are still waiting to see when he will suit up for them, with his debut likely set for Wednesday, March 1 against the Charlotte Hornets as per Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Suns getting Collins from the Atlanta Hawks would have been a massive get for them as it allows them to play more small-ball lineups, which would have preserved Deandre Ayton throughout the game since he can also protect the paint, grab boards, and occasionally score.

But when a player like Durant becomes available on a reasonable deal ($149.5 million until 2025), franchises with title aspirations will have to go for it–even at the cost of players whom fans have grown to adore.

"I think the deal doesn't get done without Bridges. Ultimately that's what they decided. As much as they love Mikal Bridges, they love Kevin Durant more. I'm just saying that [for perspective]. They were trying to figure out a way to do that deal without Bridges in it. Obviously, they couldn't," Windhorst stated.

Much like the Toronto Raptors' big trade for Kawhi Leonard ahead of the 2018-19 season, Suns fans are hoping that by netting Durant, it will result in their first-ever NBA championship.