PHOENIX — Trade rumors and speculation will again follow the Phoenix Suns for majority of the summer after another disappointing finish to the season, with many pointing to Kevin Durant as the main moving block in the Valley.
The Suns’ big three of Durant. Bradley Beal and Devin Booker was ultimately a failure in Year 1 thanks to a variety of reasons, and with a championship window that certainly isn’t getting more open, many feel like something has to give in Phoenix.
With Beal possessing a no-trade clause and the option of dealing Booker simply not being realistic, Durant finds himself as the odd star out of the equation.
Bleacher Report says the Suns should consider a deal with the Golden State Warriors, which would send Durant back to his former team in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and a 2025 first-round pick.
“Put all those hangups aside and consider, though, that the Warriors are one of very few teams more tied to an immediate win-now timeline than the Suns. Stephen Curry has two more years on his deal, and it seems clear the organization is committed to surrounding him with a competitive team. Durant will turn 36 before next season starts and comes with health risks, but he’s probably the more valuable short-term contributor than Kuminga, Wiggins or Moody,” wrote Grant Hughes.
“Would Phoenix admit its mistake in trading for KD so soon? Probably not. But that doesn’t change reality: The Suns are extremely expensive, inflexible and in for a long stretch of ugly seasons if and when their three max players decline or break up. A Durant trade is the only way to soften the landing over the latter half of this decade. It’d replenish the team’s stock of young players, picks and depth.
“Phoenix gets to go into 2024-25 with two max-level stars (Devin Booker and Bradley Beal) and three new combo forwards in its rotation. The roster suddenly makes much more sense, and Kuminga’s upside provides some down-the-road optimism. Meanwhile, the Warriors lean all the way into the “last ride” narrative by bringing KD back to function as a savior rather than the bandwagon-hopping free-agent acquisition he was in 2016.”
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon recently touched on why trading Durant makes sense for Phoenix
