After the Phoenix Suns pursued Kevin Durant before last season's trade deadline, it was evident they were going all-in on the duo of Durant and Devin Booker to bring them to the Promise Land. For an organization without any championships, it is understandable to be desperate to claim the elusive crown. The Suns were even more top-heavy after the 2023 offseason as they traded for Bradley Beal in a deal centered around Chris Paul.
All these moves to acquire the Big 3 of Durant, Booker, and Beal resulted to a total of zero playoff wins for their franchise. The 4-1 shellacking of Phoenix against the Los Angeles Clippers last year was the only slight positive for their squad, so they are now entering the 2024 offseason with a plethora of issues to rectify. The pieces they can realistically move are only Durant, Booker, and Jusuf Nurkic.
Beal has a no-trade clause, Grayson Allen cannot be moved until October, and the rest of the crew are pending free agents or on minimum contracts. If the Suns decide to blow it up, here are three feasible Kevin Durant trade destinations.
Golden State Warriors
Let's run it back for the boys in the Bay Area. Every NBA pundit knows it was the wrong move for Durant to move to Brooklyn in 2019 instead of staying with the Golden State Warriors. With the Warriors falling out in the play-in tournament, they are desperate for improvements in their roster so adding Durant for a package centered around Andrew Wiggins or Jonathan Kuminga can be a plausible scenario.
The value of Durant is not similar to other younger superstars because he will be entering year 18 in his amazing NBA career. Klay Thompson is another piece who can be involved in the trade, but his value is very low right now. Moreover, the Warriors can move a couple of their draft capital while adding some youthful pieces like Moses Moody or Trayce Jackson-Davis.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks have been reserving their assets for a superstar they may chase in the next couple of years. Numerous names have been rumored to land in New York, such as Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns. Staying put has been a fantastic approach for their front office as they have ascended to the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Adding an elite piece like Kevin Durant to their roster puts them in the same stratosphere as the Boston Celtics. They have the assets to formulate an enticing package for Phoenix and not just throw a myriad of picks to their franchise. Stephen A. Smith mentioned that Booker wants to play in New York but acquiring Durant would be a fantastic contingency plan for Leon Rose and the rest of the crew.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Arguably the best landing spot for Kevin Durant is his initial team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even if they have one of the youngest units in the association, these bunch of individuals are relentless and determined. Similar to the Knicks, the Thunder have a bevy of draft compensation to convince Phoenix to pull the trigger. Furthermore, OKC has the young assets to deal without touching the core of their roster.
The Thunder have been gatekeeping the picks they are putting on the table, so they can add an extremely talented star like Durant. Having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams alongside Durant will be a killer for any opponent. OKC has been mocked for acquiring too many picks, but this is the kind of trade where you must utilize these assets and have a legitimate chance at the Larry O'Brien trophy.
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