Moore: Suns gave up too much for Kevin Durant? Zzzzzzzzzz ...

We’ve heard that the Kevin Durant trade wasn’t worth it. That the Suns gave up too much by swapping out a slew of draft picks along with the Twins. That Durant is over the hill. And that Phoenix now has a depth problem that’s just asking for playoff disappointment.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz …

Let’s deal with the criticisms one by one, starting with the draft picks.

Who cares about draft picks?! I don’t, and neither does Suns general manager James Jones.

Every year, the NBA Draft produces more busts than superstars. Just look at all the No. 1 picks over the last 20 years that either haven’t lived up to the hype or washed out altogether.

Andrew Bogut. Andrea Bargnani. Greg Oden. Anthony Bennett.

Derrick Rose was great, before injuries derailed his career.

But what about Blake Griffin, John Wall and Ben Simmons? They’ve all had their moments, but what has any of them ever won?

Just the recent Suns draft day additions are a cautionary message about the value of potential.

Anybody seen Alex Len, Dragan Bender or Josh Jackson, lately? Those guys were all top-five picks, and collectively, they average 1 point per game in the NBA this season.

Plus, the Suns didn’t trade away picks that are likely to be that high. If they keep winning the way they have been since Jones took over the basketball operations, the picks they gave up are likely to be at the end of the first round.

If success isn’t certain for top-five picks, it’s certainly uncertain for selections made in the high 20s.

Aside from that, Jones has been known to say that “grown men win in the NBA.” And it’s true. Just look at the recent championship squads. From Giannis Antetokounmpo to Tim Duncan, each title team over the last 20 years has been anchored by an established veteran, not some hotshot rookie.

As for the Twins, Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, losing those guys hurts. And while Bridges was never hurt enough to miss a game, Johnson was hurt a lot.

With odds like that, you’d be crazy to keep draft stock instead of trading it for one of the most gifted and hardest-working scorers ever to play.

He’s not alone.

Devin Booker has missed quite a bit of time to injury in his young, but otherwise stellar, career.

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It shows that injuries aren’t endemic to older players. They’re a part of the game.

Bridges averages 17 points per game this season, a career high.

Johnson is averaging a career high, too. He’s at nearly 14 points per game.

Combined, that’s 31 points on about 24 shots per game.

Durant, by himself, is averaging 29.7 points on just under 19 shots.

I love Bridges and Johnson both for their potential and production, but not as much Durant.

As for the argument that at 34 years old, Durant’s best days are behind him, it might be true. No one expects him to win league MVP again – even if he did look like a contender for that award through much of this season.

But there’s a truism in basketball that says the jumper is the last thing to go. It’s also true that Durant is about 7-feet tall, and while old guys in the NBA slow down, they don’t shrink.

I have a hard time imagining Durant averaging anything less than 25 points per game from now until 2026 when his contract runs out.

Playing alongside Booker and Deandre Ayton is sure to make him more efficient, allowing him to pace himself during the regular season so he can take off during the playoffs, when his one-on-one scoring ability is most needed.

Depth is a luxury. Superstar scorers are a necessity.

We’ve heard all the arguments saying the Durant trade wasn’t worth it, but frankly, they’re putting me to … Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Reach Moore at gmoore@azcentral.com or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore. There's plenty Moore where this came from. Subscribe for videos, columns, opinions and analysis from The Arizona Republic’s award-winning team. 

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Moore: Arguments that the Suns overpaid for Durant put me to sleep