Should the Spurs trade for the Suns’ Kevin Durant?
Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Phoenix Suns didn’t work out like it was supposed to, and now the two sides are expected to go their separate ways this offseason. A trade involving Durant seems inevitable with the Suns currently out of the Play-in Tournament. One of the teams Durant has shown interest in is the San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs just so happen to have more trade assets than almost any team in the NBA, making a Durant-to-San Antonio trade perhaps the most likely landing spot for the all-time great NBA legend. So, what trade involving Durant makes sense for both the Suns and the Spurs?
Spurs trade proposal for Kevin Durant
Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Spurs receive: Kevin Durant
Suns receive: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham, two first-round picks
The Spurs will finish the season with one of the worst records in the Western Conference, but their future is very bright. The team traded for De’Aaron Fox ahead of the NBA trade deadline, and he should take the team to the next level going forward. Fox was ruled out for the rest of the 2024-25 season on March 13 because of a pinky injury.
Likewise, Victor Wembanyama has been out since the All-Star break because of a blot clotting issue. The issue isn’t expected to be a long-term concern, so the former first-overall pick should return to form as one of the best players in the NBA. He was on pace to win the Defensive Player of the Year award before his health concern popped up, and everybody knows that the big man does things on offense that shouldn’t be possible for somebody who is 7-foot-4.
The duo of Wembanyama and Fox didn’t play long together, but they form what could be an eventual championship core. On top of them, the Spurs have some exciting depth pieces and young players. Most notably, Stephon Castle will likely win the Rookie of the Year award this year. The UConn product has star potential. Even so, the Spurs would be smart to continue adding to their roster, especially considering the team’s record wasn’t nearly as impressive this season as it was expected to be.
Castle and Fox are guards, and Wembanyama plays the center position. A star forward should be the position that San Antonio pursues, making a Durant trade all the more likely. Durant will be 37 years old next season, but he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In fact, his numbers have been arguably even better post-achilles tear.
This season, the Slim Reaper is averaging 26.6 points per game on 52.7% efficiency with a 43% rate from 3-point land. He still has a few great years left in the tank. His spacing and shot-making would be valued in San Antonio, and opponents would dread playing a team with the length they’d have with both Durant and Wembanyama on the roster.
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Durant only has one deal left on his contract, but he has made it known that his next team will be his last team, meaning the Spurs could likely extend him without risking losing him in free agency. They trade away two first-round picks in this deal, but they have eight future first-rounders to negotiate with.
The losses of Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes wouldn’t hurt too bad because they play the same position as Durant, and Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley have largely busted out since being first-round draft picks. All in all, this is a must-do deal for the Spurs, and they’d automatically become championship contenders if they were able to land Durant.
Is the big three in Phoenix coming to an end?
The big three in Phoenix never worked out like it was supposed to. All of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal have dealt with injury issues during their time together on the Suns roster. While the former two are still great players, Beal is just a shell of his former self, evidenced by his recent career-low one-point outing against the Boston Celtics.
The team has tried to get rid of Beal, but his trade value is nearly non-existent, and he has a no-trade clause to boot. Booker is the franchise cornerstone and the player the team will continue to build around going forward. That makes Durant the odd man out. Phoenix has had interest in trading him dating back to the NBA trade deadline.
While a deadline deal never materialized, an offseason trade is next to a guarantee. Luckily, Durant still carries plenty of trade value, so the Suns should be able to net a decent return that sets their next era up well. The team has been pick-deprived for years, so adding two first-round picks in this proposed deal is huge.
Additionally, Johnson is still only 25 years old, and he has proven his worth throughout his career. In addition to being a career 15.6 point-per-game scorer, Johnson was once a key member of Team USA. Wesley and Branham are sneaky acquisitions for the Suns here, too. Neither player has lived up to their pre-draft potential yet, but they were drafted in the first round not long ago for a reason. A change of scenery could unlock their potential, especially on a new team that doesn’t have a lot of young players or future draft picks. Wesley and Branham were lost in the mix on such a young and deep Spurs team.
This trade would signal a failure in Phoenix. The Suns made the NBA Finals in 2021, but they’ve never replicated that level of play, and they’ve somehow been much worse with Durant on the roster. A Durant trade would be a tough pill to swallow, but it is both expected and necessary at this point unless the team is able to sneak into the Play-in Tournament and then make a surprise run in the postseason.