Why Phoenix Suns' trade for Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant can't include Devin Booker

NBA insider Jake Fischer created a stir among some Phoenix Suns fans Thursday when he wrote that the Brooklyn Nets would want Devin Booker back in any trade for Kevin Durant.

The Bleacher Report writer wrote: "From Brooklyn's perspective, sources said, there's no deal to land Durant in Phoenix that doesn't start with sending back Devin Booker to Barclays Center. The Suns, of course, would likely hold the line firm. But early indications are the Nets brass is not particularly inclined to take a sign-and-trade that brings back restricted free agent Deandre Ayton."

Not so fast.

ESPN's Bobby Marks took to Twitter and appeared on ESPN to explain why the Suns couldn't include Devin Booker in a trade for Kevin Durant.

“Ben Simmons signed a designated rookie extension with Philadelphia, he was traded to Brooklyn,” Marks said during ESPN's NBA free agency special, via NJ.com. “You can only have two players who have signed this type of extension on your roster. However, they cannot be two players who were acquired in a trade.”

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Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Bam Adebayo, Donovan Mitchell and several other NBA players are in the same situation as Booker, making them unable to be traded to the Nets because Ben Simmons is in Brooklyn.

Could the Nets trade Simmons to get around this NBA rule?

Yes, Marks said.

“You move off Simmons, then you are allowed to acquire a player like Jayson Tatum,” Marks said on ESPN. “So that’s where the Simmons situation puts the Nets in a little bit of a bind right now.”

However, Booker agreed to a supermax deal of four years, $224 million on Thursday, making it so that Booker can't be traded for a year after he signs the contract.

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What would the Suns have to give up to acquire Kevin Durant?

The Ringer broke down some potential trade packages for the Nets star and it had Phoenix giving up Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges, three first-round picks and two first-round swaps for Durant.

Dan Devine wrote: "As a starting point for an offer, a pair of 25-and-under two-way difference-makers who’ve already played pivotal roles on a Finals team isn’t half bad. Add in that Phoenix is reportedly one of Durant’s preferred destinations (not that Brooklyn’s required to send him to one of them, but still), plus the fact that the Suns—not exactly the most draft-stoked franchise in the NBA, as it turns out—own all of their future first-round picks, and it seems like there might be a plausible framework here."

What would you be willing to see the Suns give up in a trade for Kevin Durant?

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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Why Suns' trade for Nets' Kevin Durant can't include Devin Booker