Suns Shock The NBA By Dealing Superstar Kevin Durant To Western Conference Rival In Massive Trade Proposal

Kevin Durant (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
A blockbuster trade proposal has the Phoenix Suns shaking up the NBA landscape by dealing franchise star Kevin Durant to a rival Western Conference club.

The Suns acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets last year, hoping that he would be the final piece needed to get them over the championship hump once and for all.

But Phoenix was bounced in round two by the Denver Nuggets last year and got swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round last month. With Durant entering his age-36 season in 2024-25, the Suns may feel inclined to trade the future Hall of Famer and get the best possible return.

Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed a blockbuster three-team deal in which the Suns would trade Durant back to the Golden State Warriors, where KD won two NBA Championships.

Bailey’s proposal has Phoenix receiving Jonathan Kuminga, Kevin Looney, Caleb Houstan, Brandin Podziemski and three first-round picks. The Orlando Magic would get Chris Paul, Gary Payton II and a 2028 second-round pick, while the Dubs would land Kevin Durant and Jett Howard:

“Even the slightly older version of this core would instantly be a nightmare to defend. And though this deal hammers the team’s depth, they’d be an attractive destination for ring-chasing veterans who might be willing to sign for less than they’re worth.
Some combination of Wiggins, Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis would at least be the start of a potentially solid rotation behind the four stars. Again, this would be a big risk. But the final years of Curry’s prime justifies risks.”

Durant signed with the Warriors in the summer of 2016, winning back-to-back titles with Stephen Curry and company in 2017 and 2018. Unfortunately, Durant suffered a torn Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, and the banged-up Warriors fell short of a three-peat by losing in six games.

A Kevin Durant-Warriors Reunion Makes Perfect Sense

The Warriors have already won four championships dating back to 2015, but Curry and Draymond Green aren’t getting any younger. The Dubs aren’t about to begin a rebuild, so it makes sense to go all-in and land a superstar like Durant if the Suns are willing to do business.

Phoenix can still contend with the Devin Booker and Bradley Beal tandem. So Bailey’s trade proposal here makes sense for all parties.