Devin Booker - Kevin Durant trade makes for exciting times

PHOENIX — The energy that Kevin Durant's arrival has brought to the Suns organization is palpable. As Durant, who was traded from the Brooklyn Nets last week in a blockbuster deal, continues to work out and get to know his new teammates, the respect that he has earned within the locker room already is evident.

«You can't put it into words, man,» Suns guard Devin Booker said after Tuesday's shootaround. «It's just all feeling. Looking forward to post All-Star break when we actually get the chance to compete with each other. I've never gotten to do that besides the Olympics with Kev so it's exciting times around here.»

Durant, who remains out because of an MCL injury in his right knee suffered on Jan. 8, appears to be getting closer to a return each day. He spent time after shootaround going through a variety of shooting drills and seems to be moving as usual. Booker, who was a teammate of Durant's for Team USA when the group won a gold medal during the Tokyo Games in 2021, noted Durant's work ethic and ability in «bringing the best out of everybody around him.»

After years of struggling to find a winning routine prior to a Finals run two seasons ago, Booker takes pride in the fact that Durant pushed to come to the Suns.

«We built something that the league has picked up on,» Booker said. «We were probably the laughingstock of the NBA about four or five years ago and just trying that around and just turning that around to something serious to championship contenders is a quick turnaround for us so we take a lot of pride in what we've built here and for us to be a destination that Kev wanted to come to is a big sign of that, to show respect of what we've done so far. We still have more to do but we're moving in the right