As soon as the 2025 NBA trade deadline came and went, the Phoenix Suns are basically guaranteed to trade away Kevin Durant this summer. After failing to reach a deal in February that would have sent him out of town, Durant is obviously disgruntled and feels slightly betrayed by his team.
Plenty of teams have been floated as possible Durant landing spots: the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Houstons Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Minnesota Timberwolves are all common ones, although a recent proposal would send him to an overlooked small market team.
Mostly thanks to injuries piling up, the New Orleans Pelicans are near the very bottom of the standings, although their record is deceiving. With a healthy Zion Williamson, Dejounte Murray, Yves Missi, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, and CJ McCollum, they appear to be a playoff team.
Add in Durant, and the Pelicans could go from zero to hero as quickly as next season.
"He raises their floor considerably, likely out of lottery range, and gives Zion the proper co-star that Brandon Ingram never developed into," wrote *FanSided's*Christopher Kline. "It's hard to imagine a better skill match for Durant at this stage of his career than Williamson, a burly 6-foot-6 forward who lives in the paint. Durant's floor-bending shooting paired with Zion's constant rim pressure would make the Pelicans extremely difficult to contain, especially with so many quality pieces on the periphery. NOLA isn't a glamorous destination, but man, it looks great on paper."
New Orleans would have to shuffle some players around to make room for Durant under the cap, but they have the draft capital to appease the Suns.
Related: Two Major Kevin Durant Landing Spots Nixed By Former Lakers' Star
It's unclear if Durant would commit long-term to the Pelicans, but Zion and KD running the offense would be impossible to stop, and would be mutch-watch TV every night.
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This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 6:10 PM.