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The Phoenix Suns are a living and breathing conundrum, thanks to the aftermath of acquiring stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. It's not the two stars' fault by any means. However, the Suns' squandering the last of their draft picks wasn't ideal.
Before the NBA Draft Lottery, Durant mentioned he is interested in playing for the Houston Rockets.
In the NBA Draft Lottery, the Rockets obtaining the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft could be the catalyst they need to pull off a possible Durant trade.
Still, there is a high amount of skepticism around the move. Funny enough, the Rockets said they weren't interested in trading for Durant on Monday. Regardless of that claim, many believe that Houston is bluffing, and there is good reason to suggest that.
For starters, Houston was eliminated in the first round, despite being the No. 2 seed. Even with winning 52 games, they have one of the youngest rosters in the middle.
Also, they went against likely the most experienced team in the Golden State Warriors. The latter defeated them in seven games, but showed that playoff experience.
As soon as they were eliminated, the Durant to Houston rumors took off. All the talk has been the Rockets denying that they want Durant.
Even though they were the No. 2 seed, the Rockets only had the 20th highest salary cap in the league. With the Suns being at the top and in the second tax apron, a potential trade practically writes itself.
The Suns cannot aggregate contracts in a trade, and have to take back less than they give away. Durant's near $60 million contract could be a great offset.
Furthermore, they can acquire their draft capital back from Houston. Acquiring three or potentially four unprotected first-round picks could be a deal-breaker for Phoenix.
Would the Rockets consider trading for Suns' Kevin Durant?
The No. 10 pick is a nice asset for the Suns. There is a barrage of local or international prospects to choose from. NBA insider and ClutchPoints' own Brett Siegel put power forward Collin Murray-Boyles as the potential No. 10 pick.
That pick can change, and one thing that Phoenix doesn't need is another forward. They could use a point guard, or simply a guard, to take attention away from Devin Booker.
Some names that come to mind would be Duke freshman Kon Knueppel, French guard Nolan Traore, and BYU point guard Egor Demin.
The latter would be nice for the Suns due to his size and international experience. Plus, he was in Kevin Young's system, who was Booker's former assistant coach in Phoenix.
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His 6-foot-9 frame with his 7-foot-0 wingspan could be a part of the Suns' new defensive identity, as general manager Brian Gregory and owner Mat Ishbia alluded to.
Knueppel could be the secondary scoring force alongside Booker. Everyone saw what the Duke guard did without Cooper Flagg on the floor. He took over and even won the ACC tournament MVP.
Lastly, Traore presents a unique blend of speed, craftiness, and a veteran style of play. Despite being 18, playing overseas has helped his growth tremendously.
However, his ceiling is a major factor in potentially being drafted. Phoenix might want someone who is already proven, or someone who fits into what they want, right now.
The Rockets' No. 10 pick should be on the Suns' mind
If Phoenix doesn't trade Durant to Houston, this could be a major what-if. During the 2024-25 season, the Suns traded their only first-round pick for three more from the Utah Jazz.
However, those three firsts are the ‘least favorable', meaning that out of whatever team has the best record, that is the draft pick Phoenix gets.
They managed to land quality and promising rookies in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro with their respective picks. Still, banking on getting those picks right isn't easy.
Having a Top 10 presents more flexibility for the future.
Booker is only 28. Despite being in the league for nine seasons, he's young enough that they can retool around him. Plus, he truly enjoyed playing alongside Dunn and Ighodaro.
Either way, Kevin Durant's time in Phoenix might be over, and with the Rockets landing the 10th pick, that could seal the deal for them, trying to get the Slim Reaper to Houston.
