The Phoenix Suns must consider their best move. Despite Kevin Durant’s best efforts, the season has not gone as planned, and they are likely stuck with Bradley Beal going forward. There’s no easy way to improve the current roster, so they must consider whether it might be time to trade Durant.
The Suns have had Durant for two seasons. During that time, their standing in the Western Conference has only worsened through no fault of Durant’s own. Durant may hit the market if they decide it’s not worth keeping the core intact anymore. If it comes to that, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported which team is serious about trading for him.
Warriors Return? The One Problem With Trading Kevin Durant
The Warriors’ interest in Durant makes sense, and not just because of who he is. Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in 2016, making them arguably the most talented team ever assembled. The Warriors are also on their last legs with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, so they want to go for one last Hail Mary while they still have them.
Golden State is also in the same boat as Phoenix. This season hasn’t gone as planned, so they want whatever boost they can get. Best of all, the Warriors have all their draft capital to make a deal.
The Suns may or may not be fed up with their lack of success after giving up the farm for Durant. The problem is that all of their first-round picks are elsewhere. Most belong to the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards through various deals including for Beal and Durant. The Suns also recently traded the last tradable first that they owned to Utah a few weeks ago in a savvy 3-for-1 deal.
The Warriors are indeed serious about reuniting with Kevin Durant, sources told SI. And with efforts to acquire Jimmy Butler stalled rival execs believe the Suns are strongly considering Durant deals before the deadline.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 4, 2025
Making that kind of trade is very risky. However, it all depends on what the Suns plan to do with Durant. Are they bottoming out, or are they re-tooling? If the latter, this could be how they get Jimmy Butler on the team. They would get worse, but they could also cut down on their payroll and tax bills.
That would also lead to fewer restrictions if Butler then takes an extension that would not pay him nearly as much as Durant will for the next few years. Depending on how much they would give Butler, they could get below the NBA’s second tax apron.
That doesn’t sound great for the Suns, but given how everything has gone, are better options available?