The Suns have fallen a long way since their memorable 2021 NBA Finals run. They made drastic changes to acquire Kevin Durant in hopes of getting over the hump. Instead, they sit near the bottom of the West and are at serious risk of missing the play-in tournament.
Phoenix tried to deal Durant at the trade deadline, but it fell through, so the two sides will likely part ways in the offseason. NBA insider Sam Amick reports that the Rockets are interested in both KD and Devin Booker.
The Suns won’t receive a player of Durant’s calibre in any trade, but they’ll likely get young talent and draft capital. Although the return doesn’t align with the Suns’ current timeline, it could influence their vision moving forward.
Amick made a guest appearance on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back to reveal the Suns’ struggles have opened up questions about their future concerning all players. Houston is among the teams willing to take advantage of that.
“[The Suns’ struggles are] now opening the door for anything and everything to be a possibility in Phoenix,” Amick said.
Phoenix nearly trading Durant without informing him has done irreparable damage to their relationship. The two-time NBA champion would be a member of the Warriors if he hadn’t objected to the deal.
Their willingness to move on from Durant has opened the door for all their star players to be traded.
Despite Booker being a home-grown talent, Amick believes he could get dealt. Bradley Beal’s situation is troublesome due to his no-trade clause, but the energy in Phoenix is so bleak that anything is truly a possibility.
Durant is aware the Suns will trade him
Following the botched Warriors deal at the deadline, there have been rumblings about Durant being traded in the offseason. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst revealed KD knows about and has accepted his potential move.
“[The Suns] are going to trade him, and he knows that,” Windhorst revealed. “KD is setting himself up for his last act. I think everybody’s intentions are crystal clear.”
Historically, Durant has been on the receiving end of criticism for his decisions. However, Windhorst applauds Durant for how he has handled the situation. He has shown the utmost professionalism and hasn’t thrown the organization under the bus throughout this process.
Unfortunately, the experiment with the Suns didn’t go as planned, but Durant has proven that he has plenty left in the tank to give a team one last push for a championship. The SportsRush