Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns would benefit from parting ways after failing to make positive strides in the Western Conference.
The Suns’ 125-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed their 2024-25 playoff hopes, allowing the organization to turn its attention to the offseason.
Durant, who joined Phoenix in 2023, could land with a surprising Western Conference contender this summer.
“The Suns can dream of getting one of the (Houston) Rockets’ blue-chip youngsters all they want, but with Kevin Durant being in the final year of his deal, there is simply no way they’ll be getting one of Jalen Green, Amen Thompson or Jabari Smith Jr. in exchange,” Clutch Points’ Jedd Pagaduan wrote Tuesday.
“Even Tari Eason, the Rockets’ swiss-army knife defender coming off the bench, should be off-limits, considering how incredibly well he fits within the team’s fabric.
“Matching contracts will be an issue as well, although this will be more of an issue for the Suns; being a second apron team means that they cannot acquire more salary than they give out in a trade. Moreover, they cannot aggregate multiple salaries, which means that trading Durant by his lonesome is their only choice.”
“The Suns also have no leverage remaining; as mentioned earlier, Durant is in the last year of his contract, and the entire NBA world knows that they are about to become a selling team after a disastrous 2024-25 campaign.”
“This means that the Rockets can perhaps get away with a Durant trade that doesn’t require them to give up some of their assets.”
Pagaduan’s trade proposal sends Durant to the Rockets for Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore, Aaron Holiday, a 2027 first-round pick, and a 2029 first-round pick.
When Durant arrived in Phoenix, the Suns’ expectations skyrocketed. While an NBA championship wasn’t a guarantee, the consensus was that the Suns had no reason to miss the postseason or get eliminated in the first round.
Phoenix is only four years removed from an NBA finals appearance, so the franchise was eager to see what Durant could accomplish with the Suns.
Unfortunately, Phoenix’s disappointing 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns prove that change is necessary for Durant and the Suns.
With the surging Rockets needing a game-changing veteran with championship experience and Durant seeking another NBA title run before permanently stepping away from the big leagues, Pagaduan’s trade concept is a match made in heaven.
If Houston, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, doesn’t make noise in the postseason this year, it should consider acquiring Durant this summer and drastically elevating its franchise.
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