Kevin Durant might say goodbye to the Phoenix Suns soon. ESPN Insider Brian Windhorst has revealed that the Houston Rockets are emerging as a contender to acquire Durant and can use emerging Center Alperen Sengun, as one of the trading chips. Earlier, the Rockets swapped a bunch of picks with the Brooklyn Nets as they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks. They traded away their 2026 first-round pick to acquire a 2027 first-round pick from the Nets, which the Brooklyn side received from the Phoenix Suns.
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For Windhorst, the timing of these maneuvers suggests that the Suns are in the mood to get their picks back after trading for Durant in the 2023 midseason trade deadline.
As per the analyst, while KD hasn’t requested a trade, there is mutual interest between him and the Houston Rockets. On ESPN Radio, the NBA Insider posited,
“They[Rockets] did it to make a deal with the Suns now. To my knowledge, Kevin Durant has not asked for a trade, however, there are definite connections between Kevin Durant and Houston Rockets.”
The Rockets could dangle Alperen Sengun in a potential trade for Kevin Durant, per @WindhorstESPN
“One thing I want to point out: watch what the Rockets do tonight with the number three pick. This is one of the most important moments of the draft, and in many cases, this is… pic.twitter.com/lf1QNUTMAQ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 26, 2024
During the 2023-24 season, the Phoenix Suns didn’t have a strong Center who could stay toe-to-toe with the likes of Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, and Karl Anthony-Towns. While Jusuf Nurkic brought a lot of experience, he wasn’t the answer.
There is a high likelihood that the franchise wants to sign a much more dependable big man in the free agency. Alperen Sengun brings a lot to the table and has shown the ability to thrive against elite Centers.
Are the Rockets looking to trade Sengun for Kevin Durant?
On ESPN’s Get Up, Windhorst observed that the Rockets might use their third pick in the 2024 draft to bring in UConn standout Donovan Clingan, a 7’2” Center with great defensive motor. It can be an indication that Sengun, who had a breakout 2023-24 season, might be used as a chip to help trade for Kevin Durant. Windhorst pointed out,
“If the Rockets take Donovan Clingan out of UConn, another center, which is an option for them, and now have a bunch of centers on their roster, that would potentially enable them to make Alperen Sengun, their very talented young Turkish center, available in that type of trade to dangle in front of the Suns.”
The 21-year-old clinched 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.2 steals, per game during the 2023-24 season. His all-around style, aided by a strong post-game, has evoked comparisons to Nikola Jokic. If the Suns opt to go into rebuild mode, the Turkish Center can become one of their centerpieces.
However, even if they decide not to do it, the 21-year-old can be a strong piece to become a contender in the West. For the Rockets, the lure of Kevin Durant might be strong enough to sacrifice their emerging Center. They desperately missed a scoring Wing last season and KD fits the bill in numerous ways for the franchise that is hunting for an elusive NBA title.
