Kevin Durant, Suns
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Kevin Durant and Jalen Green swap places in a blockbuster trade between the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets.
The Phoenix Suns finally hit the reset button with Sunday’s blockbuster trade, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, sending Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets.
After the smoke cleared following the long Durant saga, the Suns ended up with former No. 2 pick Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, this year’s No. 10 pick and five second-round picks as the return package for Durant.
According to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks, the five second-round picks going to the Suns are the No. 59 selection in this year’s draft, two in 2026, one in 2030 (from Boston) and one in 2032.
The Suns now have four picks in this year’s draft: No. 10, No. 29, No. 52 and No. 59.
In total, the Suns now have three first-round picks and eight second-rounders, which they can use to further re-tool their roster around longtime franchise star Devin Booker.
The Suns remain on the second apron with $230 million on payroll. But they are expected to make more moves to get out of the second apron of the luxury tax altogether.
Declining Vasilije Micic‘s $8.1 million team option and Cody Martin‘s non-guaranteed $8.7 million salary for next season would be a good start. Now armed with more draft capital, they can negotiate with Bradley Beal to send him to another team by lifting his no-trade clause and attach a pick or two for teams with cap room like the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets.
Unloading the Beal’s remaining $110 million for the next two seasons would completely get the Suns out of the luxury tax. If Beal vetoes a trade, the Suns could flip Green’s three-year, $106 million contract for salary cap relief and draft capital to a team that believes in his star potential.
Suns Gauge Jalen Green’s Trade Value
Jalen Green, Suns
Getty What’s in store for former No. 2 pick Jalen Green in Phoenix?
If Beal stays in Phoenix, the Suns will have three guards — Green and Booker — that needs the ball in their hands to be effective.
Leading up to the trade, the Suns have gauged Green’s value around the league,
according to Michael Scotto of Hoopshype.
“Phoenix has done background on Green to gauge his value around the league in case Green is acquired, and it’s worthwhile to flip him again via trade, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote on June 16.
Clutchpoint’s Brett Seigel reported on Friday, June 20, that the Suns have made no progress on their exploration of Green’s trade market.
The Suns may hold on to Green until a trade market develops or they may find a way to part ways with Beal.
Bradley Beal’s Future in Phoenix
Bradley Beal, Suns
Getty Bradley Beal’s time with the Phoenix Suns might run its course.
John Gambodoro, the longtime Sports Radio Talk Show host of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix, who foreshadowed Durant’s trade Sunday morning, has earlier said that Beal’s time in Phoenix is also ending.
In April, Gambodoro was adamant “that there’s a zero percent chance that Bradley Beal comes back” to the Suns next season.
“And I truly believe that, you know me, if I go out on a limb, on something I’m probably doing it for a reason,” Gambodoro said on “Burns and Gambo” show on Saturday, April 13. “I don’t see a scenario in which Bradley Beal can come back.”
If the Suns cannot trade Beal, Gambodoro suggested another path for the Suns to get rid of Beal.
“I don’t believe you could trade [Beal],” Gambodoro added. “I think you go to the offseason and you try before to agree to any type of buyout or anything like that.”
But that was before the Suns replenished their draft capital with better assets to incentivize another team to take on Beal’s onerous contract.