Kevin Durant would have stayed in Brooklyn had Ben Simmons been healthy?

Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal are sitting out the team’s second preseason game against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets that’s being nationally televised on TNT. -via Arizona Republic / October 10, 2023

The Suns have so much talent with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic. What do you think of this year’s team and do you think they can win it all? Shawn Marion: “Man, I think they got a chance just like anybody else, but, of course, their [championship hopes] are probably a little bit more realistic than some other teams. I just hope they stay healthy. When you stay healthy, you give yourself a chance. That’s the thing. A lot of teams deal with injuries, and they’ve been hit with the injury bug a little bit as well. But they’ve got Frank Vogel as the head coach out there now and he’s a defensive-minded guy. They just made another trade and got some other pieces to add to it — Grayson Allen and Jusuf Nurkic. I think that happened while I was out here; I was at a meeting when I got the alert and I was like, ‘Wow! They ain’t playing no games right now!’ Listen, at the end of the day, he’s trying to give himself and the organization the best chance to win. That’s what you gotta do.” -via basketballnews.com / October 10, 2023

“Very encouraging,” Vaughn said. “In the past, of some of the things he’s been able to do, and some of that, the behind-the-back, that’s part of his game. I understand that. And the pace that he plays with, unscripted and having a flair in the flow to his game, those things we want him to get back to doing was instinctive basketball. I think you saw some of that, and definitely a positive direction for him.” If Simmons had been healthy last season, sources told The Post that Kevin Durant likely would’ve stayed on in Brooklyn even without Kyrie Irving. -via New York Post / October 10, 2023

“Very encouraging,” Vaughn said. “In the past, of some of the things he’s been able to do, and some of that, the behind-the-back, that’s part of his game. I understand that. And the pace that he plays with, unscripted and having a flair in the flow to his game, those things we want him to get back to doing was instinctive basketball. I think you saw some of that, and definitely a positive direction for him.” -via New York Post / October 10, 2023

Against Los Angeles, Simmons moved well and he looked like how he did during his days with the Philadelphia 76ers. In 14 minutes, Simmons had 10 points, one rebound, and three assists and had some highlight plays during his time on the floor. Simmons playing the way he did made a lot of the Nets’ fanbase excited for things to come and to put the cherry on top, he felt “amazing” to be able to play: “Amazing, amazing. It’s really just amazing. Happy to be out there and compete and feel good out there and able to contribute like I know I can. So, I feel great.” -via Nets Wire / October 10, 2023