The NBA trade deadline was out of control, with superstars being moved in blockbuster trades that shook up the league. That nearly included Kevin Durant, who reportedly would have headed back to Golden State if he hadn’t killed the deal at the last minute. Instead, the Warriors pivoted and picked up Butler. This hurt twice as much for the Suns, as they were trying everything possible to land Butler themselves.
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The Suns are in a no-win situation without much hope of improving. The team has been built around Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, but that Big 3 has been more like a Mid 3, leading to a 26-28 record and the 11th seed in a crowded Western Conference playoff race.
Who knows why KD didn’t want to return to the Warriors where he’d won two championships. Whatever the reason, many fans and pundits think his situation in Phoenix has no hope of improving. With no tangible path to contention, the Suns’ only recourse is to blow it all up this summer and start fresh, which would mean trading Durant somewhere else to replenish their depleted draft capital.
Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson spoke about Durant’s situation on a recent episode of Nightcap, and the two agreed that the 17-year vet is in a no-win situation on his current team. Here’s what Sharpe had to say:
“So what’d you do, all you did was delay the inevitable. You was miserable for another three, four months. ‘Cause they’re not going anywhere, they’re not doing anything.”
Sharpe is sure that Durant will get moved this summer, which would mean that he’d be joining the fifth team of his career.
Can Kevin Durant end his career on a contender?
KD has struggled to find happiness and team success since he left the Warriors. His situation in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving and James Harden imploded spectacularly, and it’s clear by now that it also isn’t going to work in Phoenix.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shares the same feeling as Sharpe and Johnson that KD will be traded away this summer, which he said is something like an open secret in the NBA.
“He’s probably gonna get traded this summer. He knows it, the Suns know it, the rest of the league knows it. They’re gonna enjoy him while they have him. It’s not really controversial, in all honesty.”
Even though he’ll be 37 by time next season starts, Durant still has a lot left in the tank. This Suns team wasn’t constructed in a very intelligent way, but if Durant goes somewhere with a more diverse group of players, and one that actually prioritizes defense, he could still be one of the better players on a championship-level team.
As for the Suns, it’s in their best interest to rebuild now that it’s clear that their current plan isn’t working. They’ll continue to look for ways to move Bradley Beal, whose exorbitant contract and no-trade clause will make it difficult. They’ll then have to decide if they want to build around Booker or deal him too in order to fully reset. Either way, it may be awhile until they’re back among the Western Conference elite.
