The remarkable downfall of the once-feared Phoenix Suns continues to be a story this NBA season. It is not a pleasant sight if a squad featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal is 27-32 and sitting in the 11th spot in the West. So you can’t really blame Paul Pierce for wanting to blow the team up after this season.
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Pierce and Kevin Garnett discussed the Suns’ woes in the latest edition of KG Certified. Both legends agreed that the chemistry within the team is just not there anymore. They believe Beal’s confidence was shaken up after rumors surfaced that he would be traded at the deadline. KG later claimed that the team doesn’t even have the substance for a Play-In run.
Pierce then brought up the option of Durant returning to the Thunder in the offseason, a pitch he previously made at the trade deadline. He argued that KD could be the grizzly veteran that OKC needs to win it all, even telling Garnett to imagine OKC’s current squad with Durant in it as a leader instead of Chet Holmgren.
However, KG questioned whether KD would even want to return to Oklahoma.
“Why wouldn’t he? That’s where it started,” Pierce responded. “That’s where he won MVP. That would be good to end your career there. That’s where they gonna retire your jersey.”
Garnett became convinced by Pierce’s passionate pitch, then claimed that the move would also be extremely beneficial to the Suns as well, as they would acquire some “young assets” that they could use to build around Devin Booker.
What would a Durant trade look like?
So if this trade did take place, what would the endgame be? OKC is not parting with SGA or Jalen Williams just to get a 35-year-old Durant, regardless of how great he still is. Phoenix would most likely want Chet, who they could get, along with another young star like Aaron Wiggins and some draft capital.
Acquiring Durant for 1-3 seasons could make sense moneywise for the Thunder too, as long as they don’t give up any of their top stars, who they would owe max contracts to. A backcourt that has Durant, SGA, Williams, and Hartenstein could be nasty.
KD’s veteran knowledge might not be translating in Phoenix, but the full circle moment of him returning to the team where it all began might entice him to lock-in the same way he did for the Paris Olympics. If the 15-time All-Star is hoping for one more championship before he hangs his boots up, OKC might be the perfect spot to do it in.
