Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant survived the trade deadline despite several teams making a push for him. The Suns ultimately decided to hold onto the superstar that they traded for two seasons ago with the hope that he and fellow star Devin Booker could get them to where they want to be.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst thinks Kevin Durant will get traded in the offseason
However, the Suns have been underwhelming this season with just a 26-27 record and 11th in the Western Conference. As a result, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst thinks the Suns will move on from Durant in the offseason:
“He’s probably going to get traded this summer,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up. “He knows it, the Suns know it, the rest of the league knows it. They’re going to enjoy him while they have him. It’s not really controversial in all honesty.”
A Durant trade at any point would send shockwaves across the league and likely have a massive ripple effect on the rrst of the teams’ offseason plans. Additionally, it would cost a haul for any team to acquire the 36-year-old, as he is still one of the league’s top players.
This season with the Suns, he is averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Despite his MVP-level campaign, the Suns have struggled due to a lack of depth and defense around Booker and Durant, and Phoenix has very little draft capital to supplant a future rebuild.
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A Durant trade would help the Suns jumpstart a rebuild
Therefore, trading Durant would be a way for them to acquire some necessary resources to jumpstart a rebuild for a team that is clearly well behind the top of the class in the Western Conference. It would be a bittersweet departure for the Suns and their fans, as the franchise has headed in the wrong direction since their 2021 NBA Finals appearance, but it may be a necessary move given their current situation.
If Durant were to get traded in the offseason, he would be on his third different team in just four years, which is rather unprecedented for a player of his caliber. However, Durant is not getting any younger, and teams that want to make a move for him will have to ensure that he is the missing piece to contending for a championship.
As for what the future holds for Durant and the Suns, that remains to be seen. It is becoming increasingly likely that the superstar and Phoenix will part ways once the offseason commences.
