NBA Insider Suggests Suns Should Trade Kevin Durant, Call OKC Thunder
Eight years removed from his departure, the rumors surrounding Kevin Durant and a potential return to the Oklahoma City Thunder are swirling more than ever.
Over the past few years, Durant has been at the center of failed experiments. The Brooklyn Nets signed him and Kyrie Irving in 2019 before eventually trading their future and depth to acquire James Harden. Nothing materialized from the trio.
Then, the Phoenix Suns made a move to acquire Durant via trade from the Nets, which both gutted their depth on the roster and future trade assets. When they failed to win a championship, they only had so many directions to go. It feels like they’ve exhausted all options from a team-building standpoint, and they’re stalling out. A big move will be needed from the Suns should they desire to compete for a championship again, and it’s hard to imagine it’ll work with their big three.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon suggests the Suns should move on from Durant to accelerate a potential rebuild or reload. In doing so, he says the Suns should call the Thunder for a potential reunion after eight years from his departure, which left Oklahoma City fans sour.
“I think the best way out for the Suns is certainly not what Mat Ishbia wants to hear and that would be to trade Kevin Durant,” MacMahon said to AZ Central. “There would still be plenty of interest in Kevin Durant. My first phone call probably would be to his original home. I don’t know what Oklahoma City’s interest would be, but I could convince myself he would be one hell of a fit there and it wouldn’t be about the players you’re getting back, but obviously the picks in that case.”
From a pure basketball standpoint, it could be a good fit. Durant would fit just about any system in all of basketball, given his versatile skillset combined with his frame. Still, there is no reason to suggest the Thunder would do this.
Looking at flexibility, the Thunder has more than enough draft capital over the next half-decade along with cap flexibility with a cheaper payroll among the NBA. They jeopardize both of those things by trading for Durant. Those are two big reasons Thunder general manager Sam Presti quickly hangs up the phone.
Even if the Thunder were getting Durant on a steal of a deal, they clearly have a good thing going. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, the depth and overall talent on the Thunder roster posted a 57-25 record and the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round and are gearing up for a second-round battle in less than a week.
For just about every reason, it doesn’t make sense for the Thunder to go all in for a 35-year-old Durant. They’ve got what seems to be a long championship window open, and adding Durant only shortens that window.
