Kevin Durant, Warriors, Suns
Getty
Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns reacts during their game against the Golden State Warriors.
With the Phoenix Suns pivoting from the Big 3 model, they could get younger and more athletic by sending Kevin Durant back to the Golden State Warriors, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed.
Bailey’s trade proposal:
Phoenix Suns receive: Jonathan Kuminga (via sign-and-trade), Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and a 2027 first-round pick
Golden State Warriors receive: Kevin Durant
The Warriors aggressively pursued a reunion with Durant at the trade deadline before he turned it down, leading them to pivot and acquire Suns’ previous target Jimmy Butler.
With Butler meshing well with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, it is unlikely the Warriors are letting go of the five-time NBA All-Star and instead are doubling down on having a veteran core to extend their championship window. Adding Durant to the mix will insulate the Warriors from another Curry or a key player injury that kept them from getting out of the second round.
“And Phoenix might have to seriously consider something like that. Durant turns 37 in September, has a pretty robust injury history and couldn’t prevent this Suns season from going off the rails.
“There are other teams that can beat the Warriors’ offer for him, but at this point, they may not want to,” Bailey wrote.
The Warriors have four available first-round picks, but given Durant’s age and his expiring salary, it will be a tough ask for the Suns to get more for him.
Warriors’ Young Core Fits Suns’ New Strategy
Jonathan Kuminga, Warriors
Getty Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors dunks the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal playoffs.
Getting the Warriors’ young core to surround Devin Booker would reset the Suns’ timeline but it is in line with their shift in roster-building philosophy under new general manager Brian Gregory, who puts premium on defensive-minded players and grinders as NBA insider Chris Haynes reported.
“One thing that I was told is that the Suns want to transition,” Haynes said on “Haynes’ Briefs” on April 18. “They want to move away from the model that they’ve been going after for the previous two years of accumulating star talent, star players, and then trying to see if it can mesh on the court. They want to move away from that and they are going to move away from that.
“So, the purpose right now and the goal moving into next season is to accumulate defensive-minded tough players. They want to play a defensive-minded, grind-it-out type of game. They want to have a product on a court that fans can appreciate.”
Kuminga has shown promise when Steve Kerr trusted him with big minutes, though that came far and few between. A fresh start in Phoenix could unleash his untapped potential. Podziemski is a connector who could play next to Booker in the Suns’ backcourt. Moody has tremendously improved as an on-ball defender this past season.
Hield is a throw-in, but his outside shooting could come in handy to open the lane for Booker and Kuminga. Plus, Hield played inspired defense in the Warriors’ playoff run, showing he’s more than just a shooter.
The 2027 first-round pick could be a good bet for the Suns that the Warriors aging core flames out over the next two years.
Kevin Durant Leaves Door Open for Warriors Reunion
After the trade deadline in February, Durant told his former Warriors teammate Draymond Green on his podcast show with Baron Davis that he would be open to joining them if they still want to trade for him in the offseason.
“We just play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason then you figure it out,” Durant said on the “Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” that dropped on Feb. 26. “It’s just such a big change to make and I’ve been through it before I was like damn that’s not really it. If I can stop it then why not?”
So Durant stopped the trade before the Warriors would have mortgaged their future for him.
“A player like me costs a lot,” Durant explained. “Going into your team is gonna be a whole new era of your team when I get to your team and that’s a lot of work through the season like I’m still of value, especially with my contract and just my production that me just getting up and moving in the middle of season, it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going.”