According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Kevin Durant forced the Golden State Warriors to include a protected first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in their sign-and-trade deal last week.

Windhorst reports that Durant felt a one-for-one for D'Angelo Russell was unfair for the Nets and forced the Warriors to include the draft pick in order for him to sign off on the deal.

The pick, which Windhorst writes the Warriors transferred "begrudgingly", will only transfer to the Nets next year if it falls outside the top 20 selections. If it lands higher than 21, the Warriors will send the Nets a second-round pick in six years.

Adding Russell also forced the Warriors to trade Andre Iguodala, who they sent to the Memphis Grizzlies along with a 2024 first-round pick.

Russell, 23, is coming off 2018-19 campaign where he 21.1 points and seven assists per game en route to earning the first all-star appearance of his four-year career. He spent the last two season of his career with the Brooklyn Nets after being traded there from the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of the 2017-18 season. Russell was drafted second overall by the Lakers in the 2015 draft out of Ohio State.