1 Nuclear Trade Idea for Suns to Move Both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker
The Phoenix Suns are not the team they hoped to be with Kevin Durant alongside Devin Booker. Whether it’s coaching (Monty Williams, Frank Vogel or current hot-seat-sitter Mike Budenholzer), roster makeup, injuries or bad luck, Phoenix has underperformed expectations.
The Suns are making a late push for the play-in tournament, which could lead to a playoff berth, but they’re a far cry from a true contender.
The Bradley Beal trade hasn’t helped, as the Suns now have three primary scorers who don’t complement each other as much as hoped. They also don’t enough fast, long, athletic defenders to get stops defensively.
Many around the league expect Durant to demand a trade this offseason as he heads into the final year of his contract at $54.7 million. But eyes are also on Booker, who still has $171.2 million left on his contract through 2027-28.
He may not have as much leverage as Durant, but if Booker decides to request a trade, could Phoenix go for a hard reset? Since the Suns don’t have control of their own first-round pick next year, can they bring in a lot of young talent in exchange for their two biggest stars?
The following is a four-team trade, building upon a previous Durant idea with the Utah Jazz. But instead of adding Lauri Markkanen, the Suns would get young, talented players and draft considerations from the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs (with a bit of help from Charlotte Hornets to round out the numbers).
Full Trade Scenario1 of 5
Spurs get:
- Devin Booker (from Suns)
- Josh Okogie (from Hornets)
- Jae’Sean Tate (from Rockets)
- Jeff Green (from Rockets)
- $5 million trade exception (Malaki Branham)
Rockets get
- Kevin Durant (from Suns)
Suns get:
- Devin Vassell (from Spurs)
- Harrison Barnes (from Spurs)
- Keldon Johnson (from Spurs)
- Jabari Smith Jr. (from Rockets)
- Reed Sheppard (from Rockets)
- Cam Whitmore (from Rockets)
- Aaron Holiday (from Rockets)
- 2025 Suns own first-rounder (from Rockets)
- 2025 unprotected first-rounder (from Spurs)
- 2027 protected Miami Heat first-rounder (from Hornets)
- 2029 protected first-rounder (from Spurs)
- $12.7 million trade exception (Devin Booker)
Hornets get:
- Malaki Branham (from Spurs)
- Jock Landale (from Rockets)
- 2025 Atlanta Hawks first-rounder (from Spurs)
Note: The trade would be agreed to before the June draft but executed on July 6, after the NBA’s annual moratorium.
The 2027 Miami first-rounder (via the Hornets) is lottery-protected in 2027. If it doesn’t convey in 2027, it would be unprotected in 2028. The 2029 San Antonio first-rounder would be top-10 protected. It would otherwise convey as a 2029 second-rounder.
The Spurs trigger a first-apron hard cap in the deal. Booker can earn up to $17.1 million via a 10 percent trade bonus, but in pushing for his exit from the Suns, he’d agree to waive it. If not, the Spurs could end up over the luxury tax but under the first apron.
Houston triggers a second-apron hard cap. Green and Tate would be sign-and-traded from the Rockets to San Antonio for $7.7 million each. Their deals would be three years long, but only the first seasons would be fully guaranteed.
The Rockets pick up their $4.9 million team option on Aaron Holiday for 2025-26 and fully guarantee Landale’s salary before the deal. The Hornets also guarantee Okogie’s salary, triggering a first-apron hard cap to acquire Branham and Landale.
Why the San Antonio Spurs Do It2 of 5
The Spurs were a potential playoff contender before losing Victor Wembanyama to deep vein thrombosis. Hoping he returns without any restrictions next season, San Antonio will continue to pick up the pace on its rebuilding cycle.
The Spurs weren’t in a rush to get back into playoff contention, but when De’Aaron Fox became available at the trade deadline for a relatively discounted price, they jumped at the opportunity. Adding Booker would give them an explosive backcourt to pair with one of the best defensive players in the NBA, reducing the pressure on Wembanyama to carry the scoring load.
Vassell and Johnson are young, talented players, but Booker is at a higher level and will only turn 29 in October. They Spurs would need to include Barnes, Branham and the draft picks to get this deal done, although two of the selections are from this year’s draft. (The Spurs wouldn’t deal their pick if they win the lottery.) The 2029 selection is adequately protected.
San Antonio would still have the financial flexibility to retain Chris Paul, Sandro Mamukelashvili and chase an unrestricted free agent like Guerschon Yabusele with its non-taxpayer mid-level exception (projected at $14.1 million). Okogie and Tate fit in as defensive-minded wings. Green is necessary to make the numbers work and would be a movable contract ahead of the deadline.
The Spurs can choose to go over the luxury tax (while staying under the first apron at a projected $195.9 million) by using the bi-annual exception in free agency, or they could stop below the $187.9 estimated tax line.
San Antonio would jump from a lower-tier playoff team to more of a true contender without giving up its top rookie (Stephon Castle) or defensive-minded forward Jeremy Sochan.
Why the Houston Rockets Do It
The Rockets are trying to win, and while Durant will turn 37 before next season, he’s still one of the league’s most lethal scorers. Put him on a team with rugged defenders, complementary scorers and athletes like Houston, and he’ll shine in ways that he can’t in Phoenix.
The price may seem high based on the number of names leaving Houston, but most are there for salary purposes (Holiday, Landale, Tate and Green). The prized players given up are Sheppard and Whitmore, but the former may not get the court time he needs to develop on a team that’s striving to win now. While Whitmore is talented, Durant would be a sizable upgrade.
Houston may not intend to reinvest in Smith, who will become eligible for an extension this offseason. The only draft consideration given up is the Suns’ own 2025 pick (in Houston’s possession), which wouldn’t be in the deal if it jumped into the top four in the lottery.
The Rockets would need to diligently flesh out their roster with players on minimum contracts. Still, with a core of Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet (who would ideally re-sign in the $25-30 million starting range), Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks, the top of the rotation is formidable.
Houston wouldn’t have flexibility below the second apron (projected at $207.8 million) to bring on anyone costing more, barring a move with one of the seven players listed above.
Why the Phoenix Suns Do It4 of 5
The Suns can continue down their current path, perhaps by flipping Durant for a player like Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen to pair with Booker. But they’re running in place with the highest payroll in the league, minimal draft assets and little in the way of young talent. Other than promising rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, most of the roster should be considered expendable.
Focusing on future draft obligations and trying to stay semi-competitive to protect what is already gone wouldn’t make sense for Phoenix. Instead, it should look to reset completely, scouring for deals beyond this Durant/Booker framework for veterans like Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Barnes, Holiday, etc.
Adding Vassell, Sheppard, Whitmore, Smith and Johnson to Dunn and Ighodaro, plus two first-rounders in June and two in future years, should excite the fanbase more than the current squad. If that young, developing group was scrapping out 35 wins at the edge of play-in tournament contention next year, that’s more palatable than the dysfunctional squad that the Suns have trying to sneak into the postseason this year.
This deal would also help Phoenix go back under the second apron to start protecting future picks from the more punishing rules of the 2023 collective bargaining agreement.
Why the Charlotte Hornets Do It5 of 5
The Hornets play a small role in this deal.
As a rebuilding team, the value of adding Branham (who’s almost 22) over Okogie (27 before next season), plus a 2025 first-rounder via the Hawks (projected at around No. 15), may be higher than waiting for a Miami Heat lottery-protected first in 2027 (unprotected in 2028). Miami is going through a down season this year, but the franchise tends to be in playoff contention annually.
The gamble is on the certainty of the Atlanta first (via San Antonio), while the Suns take advantage of future considerations from the Heat instead of adding three first-rounders in this draft. Charlotte also adds Landale (who has a flippable expiring contract) while avoiding luxury taxes and preserving the use of its non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
Source: https://bleacherreport.com/
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