NBA trade deadline winners and losers: Lakers, Suns make their move

Winner: Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns

Kevin Durant is, by far, the best player who was moved at the trade deadline and the Suns were able to land him while keeping (most) of their core intact. Losing Mikal Bridges is a blow to their wing defense but Durant’s shot-making skills should still make it an enormous net positive and his presence will make everything easier for Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

The Suns lost some depth over the deadline and they may need to pick up a key piece or two on the buyout market. But they have the high-end talent to beat anyone in the league and the elite match-up-busting players to stand up to almost any difficult matchup.

And, for Chris Paul, this probably represents his last, best chance at winning a championship. The Suns reportedly offered him to the Nets for Kyrie Irving and there are already rumblings that Kyrie might want to sign with the Suns this summer (although it’s hard to imagine him and Durant teaming up again). Paul is not the player he used to be but he’s also never been on a team with this much complementary talent before. It’s now or never.

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