Did Kevin Durant's Suns departure leave Phoenix with enough for rebuild?

Kevin Durant's trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets marks a significant shift in the NBA landscape, with potential implications for bettors. The Suns received notably less than what they originally paid for him, raising questions about their future. Punters may want to consider the Rockets as potential contenders, especially with their young roster and Durant’s presence, while the Suns might face a rebuilding phase affecting their competitiveness.

On Sunday, the Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in Wednesday’s NBA Draft and five second-round picks. The return for Durant paled in comparison to the trade deadline in 2023, when Phoenix gave up four first-round picks — including the one they got back on Sunday — a pick swap, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson in the four-team trade that pried him away from Brooklyn.

James Jackson, an NBA staff editor at The Athletic, and senior writer Eric Koreen got together to discuss the price of the deal.

Koreen: Kevin Durant is one of the 20 greatest players of all-time. He is also one of the most stylistically malleable superstars ever. I believe those facts, combined with the price the Suns paid to acquire Durant last time, explain why the general reaction on Sunday to the trade that will send Durant to the Rockets was, “That’s all the Suns got?” The Athletic’s Zach Harper, in giving the Rockets an A+ and the Suns a D for the trade, said Phoenix got “worked” in negotiations. To be sure, they did not get anything close to what they gave up for him.

The fit of Green next to Devin Booker is particularly iffy, although Green was always going to be a part of this trade, necessary to make the money work. You can probably predict where I’m going with this based on my tone. However, as my dad used to say when I asked him what he was ordering at a restaurant we were at, “I don’t want to influence you.”

What was your reaction when you heard the terms of the deal?

Jackson: Considering the Suns had one of the best players ever on the market for the last four-plus months, I was surprised they didn’t accomplish one of two additional things: 1) getting more proven young talent alongside Green; or 2) recouping their own draft capital to control more of their long-term future. Of course, getting the 10th pick in this year’s draft isn’t anything to sneeze at — especially if, as Zach mentioned, the Suns draft a big such as 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach out of Duke — but Houston’s roster remains surprisingly deep for a young team finishing second in the Western Conference.

The Suns have touted championship hopes for a while, but they could be facing a rebuild, so I was a bit shocked that they didn’t push harder for a combination of younger Rockets such as Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore or Reed Sheppard. Do you think this is a sound start for Phoenix’s rebuild?

Koreen: Before getting to the Suns’ part of it, I want to explain their unenviable position (of their own making, but I digress). I think San Antonio’s reported lack of interest was what ultimately brought us here. To recap: Durant reportedly was open to trades to Miami, San Antonio and Houston. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause, but if he signaled he was not going to be happy going to any other team, a team not on his wishlist would be trading for a different player than those that were.

Instead of getting an aging superstar happy to sign an extension for a multi-year run, a non-Heat/Spurs/Rockets team would have been taking a one-year home-run hack with Durant, like the Toronto Raptors did with Kawhi Leonard — except Leonard was heading into his age-27 season in 2018-19, while Durant is heading into his age-37 season next year. Any Heat trade was likely to feature Andrew Wiggins as a big part of the returning salary. Miami lacks sweetener, especially if Kel’el Ware was off the table. Say what you will about Green, but at least he comes with some upside given his age.

The Spurs could have made this interesting had they been willing to dangle even Devin Vassell — forget the second pick or Stephon Castle. Reportedly, they had no such inclination, preferring to slow play things and keep more of their picks and prospects available for a player who better fits with Victor Wembanyama and, likely, Dylan Harper.

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So, how were the Suns supposed to push the Rockets to give up more? Even if Durant was Suns-or-bust in 2023, the Nets had already waited out Durant’s trade request the previous offseason, and Durant still had 3 1/2 years left on his contract at the time. They could have just not traded him, having plenty of time to play chicken with new Suns owner Mat Ishbia. Phoenix didn’t have that luxury now.

Like you, I was surprised they couldn’t get Whitmore or Eason. This is KD. But I wasn’t shocked, because the Rockets had a better hand than Miami and were looking at a different version of Durant than any other team. Maybe the Suns will find a way to reroute Green or Brooks — the deal won’t become official until the new league year begins on July 6 — for a big or true point guard. Brooks, for all the noise, is a helpful player for Phoenix. Obviously, they wanted to get this over with and lock in getting their pick back this year, another thing Miami couldn’t offer them. But no, I don’t like where they have ended up, and would still bet they’ll have to have an honest conversation with themselves about trading Booker sooner rather than later.

A different question: Is there a team that was not among Durant’s desired destinations that you would have liked to see push harder for the future Hall of Famer, even with no guarantees of Durant staying after next season?

Jackson: That’s a great question. If only this deal had waited a day! I’m among those who have tinkered with the idea of Durant finishing his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, whether or not they won this year’s NBA Finals. That would’ve been fun. As you mentioned about the Suns’ lack of talent, they’re a far cry from their roster from even two years ago, when they had Bridges, Johnson and Deandre Ayton. Those trades are in the past, so it’s no good to ruminate. But with the Thunder’s treasure chest of young talent, draft picks and, like Houston, status as a contender, I would’ve enjoyed seeing Durant in a Thunder uniform again.

Oklahoma City general Sam Presti is crafty enough to have pulled off a trade without having had to include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (duh!), Jalen Williams (subtle duh) or Chet Holmgren (the trade talks would’ve probably started there). The Thunder have first-rounders from Philadelphia (protected No. 1-4 in 2026), Utah (protected No. 1-8 in 2026) and Denver (protected No. 1-5) and players such as Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort could have made the money work.

But far be it from me to pretend the Thunder don’t already know what they’re doing. In the Eastern Conference, how about the Orlando Magic? They just acquired Desmond Bane to boost their offense, and I wonder how enticing Franz Wagner would’ve been for the Suns. Durant would’ve still landed in a state sans income tax (maximizing returns on his pending contract extension matters) and could’ve boosted an Orlando team with a similar profile to Houston: big on defense but in need of buckets.

Money-wise, Wagner is about to begin a five-year, $224.2 million contract extension, so it wouldn’t have taken too much contorting. And, given the Pacers’ surprising run through the East, the Celtics assessing their future as Jayson Tatum rehabs his Achilles and the top-seeded Cavaliers still trying to get over the hump, a core of Durant, Bane, Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs would have been interesting.

Much has to be figured out before Durant’s deal is official, but how do you feel about Houston’s ability to chase an NBA Finals berth with him in the fold?

Koreen: There is no way Presti would have risked the weird vibes, as fun as a thought experiment that is. Orlando is closer, I think — Wagner, Jonathan Isaac and change would have worked. I would think the Suns would have taken that over Houston. But if you’re the Magic, you cannot think about trading Wagner without a longer-term commitment from Durant.

I liked the heavily reported idea of Durant to Minnesota more than Durant did, especially if the Timberwolves could have kept Rudy Gobert. That’s the thing, though: Unless you become an immediate contender, there was little point in trading for Durant without at least a one-year extension. The Detroit Pistons were the other team I was watching, and only because Tobias Harris’s expiring contract would have gotten them halfway to a trade.

Ultimately, I wouldn’t have thrown in the necessary draft equity to push the Houston offer, which is, again, why we’re here.

For now, the Thunder are the unquestioned favourite in the Western Conference, and it’s not close. I would put Houston slightly above Minnesota and Denver after them, but the Rockets are closer to the Timberwolves/Nuggets than they are to the Thunder, if that makes sense. However, as The Athletic’s John Hollinger wrote, the Rockets still have a lot left over to try to add to their team in future trades.

Two quick ones for you as we wrap this up. 1. As close as you are to the Heat, would you have considered moving Ware in a trade that would have landed Durant in Miami? 2. This is evil, and I apologize: Will the Rockets be Durant’s final NBA team?

Jackson: If Ware was the holdup for Phoenix sending Durant to Miami, that’s plenty reasonable. He’s a promising 7-footer who plays above the rim, blocks shots, nails 3s and gets rave reviews as a willing, enthusiastic learner with ample upside. The Heat were good when Ware and Bam Adebayo shared the floor, outscoring their opponents by 4.6 points per 100 possessions in 541 minutes. And, in my opinion, the biggest reason to cling to Ware is financial: He has a cost-controlled contract in a league with fluid finances and harsh apron penalties.

It would’ve been great if the Heat could’ve acquired Durant without trading Ware, but their assets beyond him might not have been enough. They didn’t have the pieces to add Durant while still retaining future in flexibility, as the Rockets have now. It makes sense that the Heat came up short.

As for whether this will be Durant’s last NBA team: I’m gonna lean yes, but largely because I believe in local staple Frenchy’s Chicken being a sound reason to settle down. ( Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today Network via Imagn Images )

The Suns' return for Kevin Durant paled in comparison to the 2023 trade deadline, when they gave up four firsts. Was a better deal possible?

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