Every Phoenix Suns Offseason Trade Idea
All right, what is going on everybody? How is everybody doing today? Welcome back to another episode of the Just Balling Podcast. About a week ago, I talked about some Boston Celtics trade ideas for the 2025 NBA offseason. And you guys enjoyed that video just kind of talking about hypotheticals in which the Boston Celtics could be a main X-factor this offseason, right? depending on what route they want to go. I know Jaylen Brown suffered an injury at the end of uh the Knicks Celtics series. So, is his timeline going to be messed up for next year? But I think all signs are pointing to Brown being ready to go game number one, but do they still look to maybe move Jaylen Brown this off season? Um, and all that stuff. So, I think the Celtics are an interesting team and I think another interesting team this off seasonason has to be the Phoenix Suns. So, today we’re basically just going to be doing that version of that episode with the Phoenix Suns. And yeah, we’re pretty much just kind of walk through their salary cap table. We’ll walk through like Fansspo for some trade ideas. Now, the Suns are currently a team that is in the second apron. Um, so they are restricted to do a lot of things, but basically Fansspo I think allows you to basically just decline some of these guys. So like Vicil Misich, $8 million. This is the easiest team to client ever. Like he’s that contract is not getting picked up. Um, and then they’re going to get closer and closer to the second apron. And then I also um am going to non-G guarantee um I believe you can Cody Martin’s contract is non-G guaranteed. So you can basically wave this. All right. So I don’t think Vanceville actually thinks it’s a non-G guaranteed contract, but uh yeah, you can basically wave Cody Martin um and his full $8 million. Like if you go um and look at the contract, it has a $0 guaranteed amount. So that is getting waved. That’s why they made that trade at the deadline to get off of Yousef Nerkage’s money next year. and basically uh get off of that money. So now the Suns are not a second apron team. So now they’re allowed to aggregate trades um which gives them a little bit more flexibility this off seasonason. And yeah, currently with all the guys that are under contract next year, I mean it’s more so the important guys, right? Like you have a Tias Jones free agent, you have a Monty Morris free agent, but KD Beiel Booker all under contract for at least one more year. Uh Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neal under contract, and then you got Nick Richards, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Igodoro. So yeah, guys that have come uh common left this year like Bull, uh Tai Jones, Monty Morris, Jaylen Bridges, uh cuz he was like a two-way undrafted guy from the 2020 for draft class. So now the Suns can can operate and I think what they have to do right now when you look at the big picture of this team, like there’s been talks about potentially stretching Brady Bill’s contract, which and waving him, which is probably I I think just don’t do that. You you got to just eat the contract if you can’t find a partner for it. There’s no point in giving yourself a $10 million dead cap for eight plus years just to get off of the Bradley Beal money right now. I I just think that’s really gonna handicap you down the line. Um you might as well just eat into it for now. Now, what the Suns don’t have is their draft picks, right? So, that is a big thing that’s going to be um I guess handicap handicapping them this off seasonason, restricting them this offseason cuz this team, oh man, it’s just really tough. And hey, the Suns could be an impressive team to start off next year and they could be an eight seed. That wouldn’t shock me in the slightest. But when you’re looking at a team that didn’t even make the playin tournament this year and teams around them like are getting better. San Antonio is going to be making a playoff push next year with WBY Dylan Harper and maybe they’re going to trade for Kevin Durant which was uh which is going to be an idea we’ll get to right now. Uh the Portland Trailblazers are going to be better next year. The Dallas Mavericks who lost in the playing tournament are going to be better next year. The Pelicans might not make the playoffs or playing tournament but they’re going to be better because they’re going to be healthier next year. So there’s so many teams that are going to be better next year. and most of the teams in the west that made the playoffs this year, unless there’s like massive injuries, I don’t think are taking steps back. So, um, they’re going to be competing with a ton of teams and there’s a solid chance that the Suns are at least not a top six seed next year and it’s going to be they’re fighting in that 8 to to 12 range, right? Um, between the play tournament and others. So, I think the first things first this offseason, which is basically going to set the precedent and basically everything can follow after, is Kevin Durant. Uh he’s got one year left on a deal at $54.7 million. Uh he is eligible for an extension, but he’s 36 years old. He’s a free agent at the end of next year. And I just said that you’re most likely going to be competing between like the eight seed, the 12 seed, maybe even the 13 seed this year. There is no point in keeping Kevin Durant in my opinion. I don’t think there is a positive to keeping KD. I mean Kevin Durant is an incredible player. He helps you next year, but he doesn’t help you many years after that. And I think that’s where the Suns need to be looking because Deon Booker is 28. Um there’s a chance he could sign a new extension this offseason. You want to keep Deon Booker around till he’s 35, right? Like that is the absolute last resort is trading Devin Booker. So we I don’t want to get to that resort ever or ever have to get to that. So I mean there’s going to be some obvious teams that could trade for Kevin Durant. Um one being the San Antonio Spurs because the Spurs can basically keep a ton of the assets that they would have to give up in a Giannis trade. They could start off with Harrison Barnes. They could start off with Kild Johnson. And we’re getting close to the dollar amount. Um, and I I kind of just want to try this. This is probably not going to work right now because you would have to um cut 8.8 from the Spurs for this to be successful. Uh, I guess you could do Vel. Um, because I don’t think Sohan gets this done. Uh, so if you do Vel Johnson and Barnes, I mean that that is like a decent amount of money to get to that 54. I feel like they would have more money than that. Um, see like now you have to cut 8 million from the Sun or from the from the uh Spurs here. So that is too much. So I guess I don’t know. I don’t know why this wouldn’t work for for this specifically um because Sohan okay so that gets it done. So yeah, basically Barnes Johnson and Sohan for Kevin Durant as just a player return package for San Antonio. You get to keep the cell. I mean you’d probably rather move some other guys but um and it does stink to get off of Sohan and Kell Johnson but I think you’re okay doing this. And then I think you’re keeping pick two and the draft pick capital on this doesn’t have to be heavy. Now one thing that I think could just be like all right this is good is maybe it’s the Boston swap in 2028 and maybe it’s the 14th pick because I think the pendulum is swung too far so that Kevin Durant isn’t going to go for a lot like I I think what Kevin Durant went for at the 2023 deadline was an absolute hall and he’s not going to go nearly for that much but I I think he’s not going to go for salary filler and like one nice draft cap or one nice draft pick. It’s still Kevin Durant. there’s still going to be teams bidding for him in a free market. So, the the price for Kevin Durant is going to go up. Um, so I think it’s going to end up being a little bit more than what we think just because we went the other way thinking like, oh, he’s not going to go for too much. He’s a 36-year-old on an expiring contract. I I do believe he’s going to go for more than we think, even though we do not have super high expectations. So, I think this is one idea. You can basically get the 14th pick. Probably not the best 2028 pick. You expect Boston and San Antonio to be good, but hey, who knows what either one of those teams can look like. You get so in Kellen Johnson and Harrison Barnes. Um you get basically the expiring Barnes contract. Yeah, you do have two years of Kellen Johnson at $17.5 million, but you’re getting bodies in this deal which I think the Suns desperately need if they don’t want to bottom out next year. Um and they want to be competitive. You can get solid depth. Um and I think you’re really trying to tap into what Jeremy Shan can bring you because Jeremy Shahan could still be a connecting piece, can still be a good defender, could still be like a pseudo ball handler in the half court for somebody at his size. Um, and I think it’s worth just taking a chance on him um, in year three of or excuse me, year four. And then you could figure out if you wanted to extend them um, after the end of the year. Now you get the 14th overall pick and there’s a ton of guys that I would really like in the draft as well around that range for Phoenix. Um, they need centers and that is a perfect range to target a Thomas Sorber from Georgetown or Joe and Behringer. Um, and then you can also target I mean Danny Wolf, but I I don’t really like Danny Wolf and Phoenix. I think they need somebody with more defensive upside. Hey, Colin Murray Boils could fall to there if or if you can maybe want to take a a high upside swing on somebody like a Noah Essen, a Rashier Fleming, a Carter Bryant. There’ll be some point guards there like Jace Richardson. Um kind kind of a combo guard. Um Nolan Trayori will be there. Ben Sif will probably be there. Um Walter Clayton, Learon Phylon, like all those guys will probably be there outside of uh Fears uh Casper and then um Dylan Harper. So I think that’s an idea for Phoenix. um you get more depth. It sucks that you didn’t win with Kevin Durant. It sucks the furthest you made. It was round two in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. Um but yeah, I I think this is probably the right move uh going forward. And then you also have the 29th overall pick in this draft. So now you’re adding two rookies. You did fine with where you were picking last year with Ryan Dunn and Oso Gdoro. It was a weaker draft class and you still made out with like two all right rotational guys. It could have been a lot worse. So I know it’s a new regime. I know we have a new head our GM. They don’t even have their head coach yet. Um, but I think I I think I could trust them to at least make the right decisions for their timeline. Now, one other thing they could do is rope in the Washington Wizards in this three-team deal, which intrigues me. So, basically what they’re getting is their swap back in the 2020 six draft. So, now you’re giving yourself an okay to potentially be bad next year. Now, I don’t know exactly what that would cost. Um, it may end up costing them more. Like it would probably have to send out that Boston swap to Washington. Like why would Washington want to do this, right? I don’t think Washington could walk away with Jeremy Shohan in this. But I think like basically you’re doing a swap between um 14 and 18 with them so they get to move up a couple more spots or giving them I think your first in 2020 uh or that Boston first. And then I think you just got to get like either get San Antonio to give them a first. Um or you got to give them pick 29. I don’t know if Washington wants another first round pick for three in this draft. I think like maybe you can rope in this swap in 2030. If Dallas or excuse me, if San Antonio really wants Kevin Durant, they would be willing to throw in these swaps later on. San Antonio still gets to keep the Atlanta Hawks picks in 2026 and 2027 with the swap and the outright pick. So I think this is something that could end up working. Um, I I don’t know if that’s too much for for Washington to be like, “Okay, you can have your pick back.” But hey, they’re basically moving up four spots to the end of the lottery and you get a Boston swap in 28 and you get a Dallas and Minnesota swap in 2030. Washington really doesn’t have the most draft capital going forward and I think that gives them a little bit more flexibility. And I think this is for Phoenix. It just gives them an out just in case. Uh, next year is terribly like everything just goes wrong for them and maybe Deon Booker suffers a three-week injury and Bradley Beiel is just not really stepping up with an increase in touches now that Kevin Durant is gone and you are going to end up being a 13 or 14 seed. Lottery balls go your way and boom, we’re off and running to retool this team in the 2026 offseason. So, I think that’s a way that you can really get Kevin Durant bestly involved. I think no matter who they trade Kevin Durant to, they should really try to get Washington involved to get their first round pick back and you may be kind of sacrificing a little bit of draft capital you would get in the KD trade. So now like looking at this, I don’t know if San Antonio Yeah. So San Antonio is basically giving up three first and three players for Kevin Durant. They may not want to do that. Um so I I think it’s really just seeing where the Kevin Durant return really goes. Um even though those first round picks weren’t really too much. So, um, can kind of go back to a two team trade here. And I think we could just kind of I think Kevin Durant’s like bound for basically like three teams. That makes a lot of sense. Uh, Houston Rockets also can make some sense. Um, if they’re not going to be in the Jiannis Koopa sweep stakes, which hopefully we’re going to find that out soon. What’s going on with him? Now, I guess for Houston, would you rather trade Fred Van Vleet or Dylan Brooks? Uh, or excuse me, or Fred Van Vleet or Jaylen Green? Now, if you trade Jaylen Green, you might also have to trade Dylan Brooks. So, um I think there would just be like a pick up of the team option and Fred Vanv can go to Phoenix. Um now I would have to basically cut $9 million from the Okay. Yeah. So, basically I think you’re going to have to get either Reed Shepard or Jabar Smith Jr. back. I think if it’s only going to be two players, I think you can probably get Jabari out of this. And I think you like I mean what’s going on here? I have to cut two and a half million from the Sun. So now, okay, this can kind of get a little bit better for them. Uh I mean, you can get maybe Nick Richards. Oh man, I don’t know. Can I get them Royce O’Neal? Uh Royce O’Neal and you can give me Jollandelle. Does that work for this deal? No, that one didn’t work. So you uh you basically have to do Fred Benble, Jabari Smith Jr. and Aaron Holiday for Kevin Durant and Royce O’Neal. Now for the Suns, how you get off of the Royce O’Neal money. And Royce O’Neal could be better suited in Houston. Um and basically that 3 and D veteran role. I think Jabari Smith Jr. has more value coming back than Jeremy Soan. I don’t really think that’s a hot take. He was drafted higher. Definitely has more potential. Um, and if you can really tap into that potential, it could really be something for you long term. Um, but I think you can get your first round on pick back at number 10. Um, and yeah, you basically have Fred Van Vuit who you kind of need a point guard, but I also hate the idea. It’s just like Bradley Beiel and Deon Booker don’t really work. And I hate the idea of Bradley Beal at the three. It just never really worked at times. And Bradley Beal could probably be the two, but fear also doesn’t make a lot of sense. But then if you also get Jaylen Green, Bradley Beiel’s also going to be like a three or Jaylen Green’s going to be a three or Booker’s going to be a three. And I I just don’t really like that defensively, but I really do like them getting Jabar Smith Jr. in the 10th overall pick. I don’t know if you’re able to get your first round pick. Well, you don’t The Rockets don’t have it in 26, so you’d have to rope in the Wizards. Um maybe you can get your first rounder back in 2027, which would be massive. Um but then maybe you’re not taking back. Yeah. Like cuz the Rockets are not going to be able to afford every young player they have right now. Um I I wonder what a Jabari Smith junior contract extension would look like. he can get extended this off seasonason, but I highly doubt that they would agree to something right now given what his value is at. And I do wonder if he’s just going to get traded with like in or not in a big deal. Um just because they can maybe recoup some draft capital if some team offered them like two first round picks that could end up being something or one good first round pick for Jabari Smith Jr. The Rockets maybe like there’s a a world where we just don’t match any deal next year um because we can’t really absorb say somebody throws like $28 million at Jabar Smith Jr. if he shows enough potential this year. I don’t know if that risk out uh outweighs the reward. So, yeah, I think the Phoenix or excuse me, the Houston Rockets could make some sense. I mean, like there’s a lot of fun teams in the Western Conference that can go out and get Kevin Durant. Uh the Minnesota Timberwolves who are currently in the conference finals. They just had a massive game three win. I don’t really know if they would be a Kevin Durant team. Um I think they’d be interested in it and they would probably be like some type of Joyce Randall sign and trade. Um they would have to get off of like Mike Conley’s contract to a different team. Um, but I do believe they’re going to be, yeah, they’re under their second apron going into the offseason with Reed opting out, Randall opting, opting out, and Nel Alexander Walker being a free agent as well. So, Minnesota is definitely going to be a Kevin Durant team, I think. I mean, it all really depends on how this conference final series ends. And I think a really fun Darkhorse team is the FE or excuse me, is the Denver Nuggets. Now, the one thing is like I I don’t really want to touch that Michael Porter Jr. contract at all. Um, but he’s the main guy that has to come back because if you’re getting Kevin Durant, you don’t want to trade away Aaron Gordon or Jamal Murray. You’re basically going after that guy they were trying to get um earlier in the year. They were linked to Brennan Ingram and Zackovine and Jimmy Butler. And you can go out and get Kevin Durant who can move off of Nicole Joic so well who’s an elite shooter, an elite mid-range shooter, and he’s somebody that can just get in isolation um when you don’t have to rely on Jamal Murray to be that guy. And Jamal Murray could be that guy. Obviously in the playoffs, he’s a playoff riser. he is every year. But giving Joic a breather with just having the ball in his hands that much and going from Jamal Murray to Kevin Durant as your secondary ISO scorer um or your secondary like scorer after Joic would be an incredible ad. Now this would be an expensive team. You’d basically have to get off Zeke Nagi. I mean I just wonder if Daros Arch, Zeke Naji, and Michael Porter Jr. make this work financially. It does not even work. So, you basically have to cut $2.7 million from the Nuggets more to get the steal done. I mean, a player that intrigues me a lot for Phoenix is actually Russell Westbrook just because they don’t want to be bad next year because they don’t own their first round pick and Russ can at least help you win some regular season games. So, that is something I don’t hate. Um, if he was going to be included in this trade, I don’t know if you could steal Don Holmes. You probably could because the Michael Porter Jr. contract is not looked at as like a positive asset or a positive contract whatsoever. Zeke Naji has a negative contract. Daros for 5 million isn’t great. So, honestly, you should be able to get Don Holmes in here if you’re going to take on all the Nuggets bad contracts in this deal. Um, and I know Don Holmes did not play a single minute last year. Uh, he tore his uh Achilles, right? It was a massive injury in the summer league, which really sucks. And who knows how his career is going to even go now because for a big man, that was a scary injury to come back from. Might might have been the ACL, but I think that’s where it starts and that’s really the only place you can go. And Denver, yeah, is going to lose a little bit of depth here, but you still have Murray at the one, Brown at the two, Kevin Durant at the three, Aaron Gordon at the four, Joic at the five, and then you expect or you hope that Joan Shaw can show more signs of improvement next year. Um, he had some solid playoff games this year. Not a ton, but showed out in one of those Thunder games. Uh, Peyton Watson, I don’t know if you would think about selling high on him. Maybe he would be included in this trade instead of Don Holmes because are you going to extend him? He’s a great defender, but is he ever going to take strides offensively? Um, and I guess in this you can keep Russ. I don’t know if Russ is open to staying, but um, I I think if you trade Russ, like Jaylen Picket’s not going to be as good, but I think Jaylen Picket is ready for a larger role. Now, the thing with the Denver Nuggets, they don’t own much draft capital. So, you could basically get their 2031 unprotected first. You could basically get like a 2038 pick swap. Like, is that enough for Kevin Durant? I I don’t really know. I mean, I think the other teams do have better packages. Uh, unless you got like a third pick swap in the deal or you get a Peyton Watson or Julian Strawther because I’m not really like I don’t know Michael Porter Jr. helps you next year like Zeke Naji and Darus Archer at least bodies down low. I mean Darus Arch might be kind of done in this league but and Don Holmes has a body as well and they need big man depth and now you have like Richardso like you have some guys and who knows maybe Zeke Naji just needs a change of scenery but I don’t know if that Nuggets like 2031 first round pick is really what I want and I don’t know if I want to pay Michael Porter Jr. all that money as well. But hey, he gives him some size. He could be a stretch four in Phoenix and maybe he can get some really good looks playing off of Devin Booker there. I really like the idea of Denver getting Kevin Durant, but it’s just like what would they offer back? Like would they be willing to part ways with Julian Strawther or Peyton Watson or Christian Brown? I I don’t think so. I mean, if you do Christian Brown, you probably don’t have to give up any um draft capital. Um and you obviously get to keep Don Holmes. I mean, I I think for Denver, I mean, I think Bobby Marx of ESPN said that basically his extension is expected to be like 30 million a year, and Brown is a fantastic complimentary piece and role player on this team, but are they going to go into that? They’re going to be a second apron team if that happens. Um, so basically, I mean, it is tough. It looks like you have to cut 2.1 million from the Suns to get the deal done. I mean, if they take on Christian Brown, do they not have to take on Darus Arch? Uh, no. So that also doesn’t work either. You’re basically going to have to So you’re basically trying to find the middle ground. It’s an idea. Um I I think DE would try to do everything they can to at least keep Christian Brad for one more year who could get extended this offseason. So those were just some Kevin Durant trade ideas which I obviously think are going to be like the main piece of their offseason plans. Um I think for them to like trading Deon Booker I don’t really think is a viable option for them. Um I mean yeah you’re going to get a haul. you’re going to get a fantastic call. But if you’re trading Devin Booker, you’re trading Kevin Durant. There’s no point of not trading KD if you’re going to trade Booker. And then you better get your first round pick back from the Wizards. You better get a first round pick back from the Rockets. So that’s why I think the Rockets would be a solid Devin Booker trade piece. So I don’t really think that’s going to happen this off seasonason. Um I also think there’s also some other ideas, too. Um if you call it the Orlando Magic, I think there’s like an idea about a Grayson Allen Jonathan Isaac swap. Basically defense for some shooting. Um the salaries are pretty close together. Um and of course it’s not going to work. I have to cut 1.8 million from the Magic. Um and they have just like a ton of depth on their team. Like could we find a new new home for Caleb Houston, right? Um and I think I know Isaac’s contract isn’t fully guaranteed going forward. And Grayson Allen’s contract isn’t great either, but hey, it basically says Phoenix can’t defend. You’re getting Jonathan Isaac. Orlando can’t shoot. You’re getting Grayson Allen. We’re basically swapping semi- bad contract for semi bad contract. I mean, Grayson Allen is owed Yeah. Uh 16.8 8 next year goes up to 19.3 in 2028. I mean, I’m not the biggest fan of that contract, but hey, Orlando could maybe use that as Sally Filler down the line. As for the Isaac contract, um, uh, he is so basically half of that 2027 deal is guaranteed and then it’s not guaranteed in 28 and 2029. So, I think that contract is a little bit better. Um, I just threw Caleb Houston. Maybe it’s Cory Joseph to make the money work. But I think that’s just an idea for um, both teams this offseason and and Jonathan Isaac could be somewhat of a a center defensively, which I think could help Phoenix. And that could be an idea if they try to run it back with Kevin Durant. Trying to find a Bradley Beal team is really tough. I mean, I Bleach Report threw out a crazy idea, which I’m like, you can maybe think about it if like Milwaukeeke’s like Damen Lord might not be the same player. Um, we we don’t want to wait two more years and have like nobody on on like playing for us. We’d rather like Bradley Beal will be better than Damen Lillard next year by default just because he’ll be playing, but he’s still going to be overpaid. Um, does this deal work in a way Damen Lillard for Bradley Beal? Um, I mean, it’s it’s really tough to pull off. You have to cut 460K from the Suns. Um, so yeah, like they would also have to throw in somebody um in this deal. Uh, I’ll just throw in Oso Gadoro. Uh, I don’t know who would have more leverage in this deal. Like his Damen Lillard, I mean, you’re getting $54 million on your books next year for a player that’s not going to play. And then you basically have 50 plus million on your books for a player coming off an Achilles tear at his age in the final year of the deal. It’s that’s maybe a worse contract than Beal now, who does have two years left on the deal. Um, but he at least like I think Beal would be better not in Phoenix or as a higher option. Yeah, he’s owed $53 million next year and then a $57 million player option in 2027. That at least helps Giannis next year cuz Dame isn’t going to help Giannis cuz he’s going to be hurt. So, that at least gives you something. But I think for Phoenix, like why would you do this, right? Like there’s probably no point in doing this if Milwaukee had more draft capital or maybe like an exciting young big. I would think about taking that back. Um but yeah, I just don’t really think Phoenix should do that. I’d rather have Brad McBal next year than Damen Lillard going forward, especially for a team like Phoenix that doesn’t own their draft picks. Yeah, if you owned your draft picks, I would be okay doing that. But or maybe if Damen Willard was an expiring deal, I would think about doing that. Um, there’s going to be also I I didn’t mention it before for the Kevin Durant talks, but there’s like the Paul George pick three for Kevin Durant. Um, it’s weird because I’d rather get more depth and like the 10th overall pick like what I did before or the 14th overall pick in my future pickback and get like Sohan or get like um Jabari Smith and just some other guys then just getting Paul George who’s under maybe the worst contract in the league. Um maybe there’s a chance he’s healthier in a different system. he would look a little bit more like 2024 Clippers Paul George. But I don’t know if Ace Bailey is worth it for Phoenix because hey, Ace Bailey can work out and he can basically be Paul George for you one day. But I am scared he would not work out and then basically you set yourself back even more by getting somebody that you’re just constantly investing into that is just not going to work out. Does not play well off of Deon Booker. Maybe doesn’t help you out defensively or or initiating the flow of the offense passing wise. Um, and then you also have to take on Paul George’s contract for three years when you basically free up $54 million next year. So, I think I would need more if I were Phoenix. I mean, I would be a hard ball on this and I would be like, I want Justin Edwards if you want Kevin Durant. Um, and then maybe you can get um or not. Probably and uh you can get like the 2029 Clippers swap. Um or the um I think they have another Clipper swap. Yeah, 2028 unprotected first. like maybe I would target that too because there’s still a chance the Clippers are not great in a couple years with their team getting a little bit older. Um but yeah, I don’t really think there’s that many Bradley Beal destinations to be honest with you. I don’t think he’s going to Miami. Um I don’t think he’s going to Sacramento. I don’t think you can really rerout him. I don’t There’s going to be some desperate teams this offseason, but I don’t think that desperate to want to get Bradley Beal. Apparently the Wizards were willing to take back Bradley Beal at the deadline. I mean, I don’t I don’t really know what that would cost you. Um cuz you have to give him assets to get off of Bradley Peele. You’d probably get Jordan Pool like say they did I don’t know man like I like now we’re thinking like so far out of the box but you basically would get Pool and Smart for Bradley Beal and maybe Washington would be okay with this but because Smart’s an expiring and and Pool like they go from basically Pool to Beal who’s a lot better of a veteran and more beloved in that city and Beal can honestly be like a good veteran guard for that team. But I just don’t think that’s worth it for them unless they were getting like a like pick 29. I don’t even think that’s worth it either. I would want their 2031 unprotected pick, but they traded that to Utah. Um, and I don’t know if like Ryan Dunn would get that. I think this is like more like okay, this could have happened at the deadline. I would be surprised if it happened this off seasonason. Um, but yeah, what if they really do Bradley Bill? That would be kind of crazy. Um, so yeah, we talked about basically like Grayson Allen. We talked about Kevin Durant. I said Deon Booker is probably not likely this offseason. It’s just they don’t really have a lot of flexibility. So, I think really step number one is trading away Kevin Durant this off seasonason. Maybe if you can include Grayson Allen in one of those deals or Royce O’Neal in one of those deals. I mean, Houston does need shooting. So, like say you gave them Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen. Like I think if there’s a way to get also off of Grayson Allen’s money in the Kevin Durant deal, you do it. Um you would take back Fred Van Vuit. I mean I don’t think you can take back I mean Jaylen Green and Fred Van Vuit. That would be kind of nuts. um you’d have to cut six million. So you’d have to do like Royce O’Neal in that deal as well. I mean, hey, that would give them a lot of switchable wings and defensive uh defensive guys. So, I actually wouldn’t hate that. Uh but I don’t really think like Phoenix doesn’t need all these backcourt guys, but you’re going to have to take back one of them. Um maybe you can get Dylan Brooks. I think Dylan Brooks coming back would be massive because I think he’s somebody that can help you out in the regular season and he can kind of help you um on both ends of the floor going forward. So, that actually works financially. So, I guess there is a way that they can keep most of their young players. Like, if they actually wanted to keep Green, Shepard, Jabari, I mean, maybe Whitmore has got to be in this trade. Um, I don’t really think Whitmore serves a big purpose on this team long term. Um, I think he’s more so going to be a trade asset um that they could dangle going forward. So, yeah, you can have Cam Whitmore in the steel. You can keep Shepard. You can get pick 10. Can you get your 2027 first back? I honestly this would be a home run trade for for Phoenix in my opinion because you get off of the Grayson money. You uh basically get Fred Van Vleet who you can at least get a good veteran guard in the room uh can help you next year. And if you draft a a young point guard, he could be a good mentor. You get Dylan Brooks who’s going to help you out in the regular season. You get the upside flyer on Cam Whitmore. You could draft somebody at 10 that can help you on either end. Um maybe Kaman Ali watch is there at 10. Maybe Derek Queen is there at 10. Um maybe you want to target somebody like a point guard going forward or maybe Khan Canipo falls a 10. um or you get a Carter Bryant or an Ace Newell or somebody like that and then you also get your first rounder back in 2027. Um maybe in a perfect world they’re able to rope in the Wizards, get their first round picks back this year 26 to 27, but that seems a little bit unrealistic going forward. So yeah, I think all signs just point to the Kevin Durant trade this off seasonason. Um there was a report that they may hold on to KD. I don’t really agree with that. Um, I just don’t I think you’re just delaying the inevitable over there in Phoenix. And you don’t really want to do a full tear down, which involves trading away Deon Booker. Uh, so trade away Kevin Rant this off seasonason. If you can get your first round pick back next year, great. If you can’t get guys that can help you at least be respectable next year, maybe you’re an eight seed or nine seed. Maybe you’re giving Washington or whoever gets the swap like the 13th overall pick. Um, and then you can kind of retool your roster even more in 26 cuz Bradley Beiel will be an expiring contract and you can have more flexibility from the Kevin Durant trade that will help you out in a year from now and two years from now. So yeah, that is going to be for me. I hope you guys did enjoy. Let me know if you want to see maybe other teams versions of this down below. Do you want to see this with like maybe the Philadelphia 76ers, the Brooklyn Nets? Uh, I don’t know. Let me know uh what team you’d like to see this with next. If you want to see this uh throughout kind of leading up to the offseason, if you guys did enjoy on YouTube, I’d appreciate you dropping a thumbs up. Let me know in the comments what you guys think. And then if you’re listening on Apple Podcast and Spotify, really appreciative rating and review. I’ll catch you guys in the next one. Peace.
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35 comments
It's crazy how many people think KD is worth so much at his age with his contract
Do the raptors next and potential rj trades
Great video as always Matt, as someone who writes for the Suns i appreciate your trade ideas and it made me open up to the KD to Spurs as my ideal trade!
I like the Grayson to Orlando one too, keep up the great vids man
Nick richards and tyus jones will be the biggest names in terms of wants for role players. A lot of teams needs a center or back up point guard
If suns are trading KD to the rockets, eason and jabari are the main guys theyd want, we dont want fred's contract and greens not a good basketball player. If rockets say no, kd going to san antonio or denver suns just gonna get the best possible package
I am very interested in what will suns do but i think KD is overrated, Luka was traded for one first rounder, one role player and aging star, i can not see suns getting multiple first rounders and few youngsters for 36 year old star
One year of Durant is not worth this for the Spurs
Hey, you can't trade swaps of picks you don't own. You can't make Boston and Phoenix swap picks. The Spurs can only swap whatever pick they get in 2028 with the Suns.
Anyone that would trade multiple good young players AND draft picks for kd right now? Should all be fired. He’s not worth It lol. Trade away your entire future for a one year player 😂sounds like something a shit team would do in the first place
Do Brooklyn
As a suns fan your SA trade was alright, didnt like your first Houston trade because we wouldn’t throw Royce in for nothing in return. KD + Grayson for Fred, Brooks, Whitmore and the picks is a good deal tho. I absolutely hate that Denver trade, would need way more draft capital back but they dont have much to offer. I think you should be thinking more about the suns rerouting players and picks to other teams for win now players. For example if they could reroute Jalen Green to a team like the Nets for Cam Johnson or send Keldon Johnson elsewhere. Lastly, there is a ZERO percent chance that the suns trade for Paul George. Thats is probably the worst contract in the league and has 3 years left, not to mention Booker absolutely hates PG and would never sign off on that trade
The curse thumbnail again
The 26 swap is useless booker with average nba players will win more games than a team with Alex Sarr a sub 40% center on it
what about a giannis for kd trade
Do it with the Lakers, but actually have some trades that aren't just for star players bc we all know that probably won't happen😂
Charlotte owns Phoenix’s 2026 pick. The swap goes worst of Washington/Memphis/Orlando/Phoenix to Charlotte
clippers
No I don't wanna trade a 22 year old and our second best defensive player in Sochan for a 37 yrs old KD who's probably going to retire in the next 3-4 yrs
Phoenix should Apologize to fan base, Buy out Beal, Waive Durant and completely start over.
Celtics should trade G Jrue Holiday and F Sam Hauser to get under the 2nd apron. Then trade G Derrick White, C Kristaps Porzingis (expiring contract), and a 2027 FRP for KD
Matt should just stick to 2K respectfully.
Not hating just stating facts. You're so mich a twitter based guy and not a real life nba follower day to day basis.
All of these trades are not worth it for these teams.
What if KD wakes up in March and Say you know what i'm not suited for this team and i won't extend this summer? What do you do?
What if KD gets hurt at 37? Rockets in this deal they would basicaly have to have a great KD for atleast 3 or 4 seasons for this deal to make sense and even then you're paying KD around 60M$/yr when Amen, Tari, Sengun, Reed and Green are under contract??
Come on bro. You can't just play the Suns GM here you have to play both sides
And i have seen you do it for Giannis trades too.
Both teams have to be happy in trades.
In any businesses, a trade market is the meeting point of opportunities and balance of power.
KD is 36 years old, only played 67% of the possible games in the last 5 years (274 games on 410 possible) because of injuries, not very famous to make the locker room a very friendly place and with only one year left on his contract (with a supermax salary).
First of all, I am not so sure that a lot of teams will try the trade (with his current salary). Perhaps with a sign&trade, it could be easier but I am not sure that KD will accept a pay cut.
Secondly, as he is in his final year of contract, he can choose not to go in a franchise, just by saying that he won't extend with this franchise. The deal cannot simply then be done.
In any business, when a product is very expensive, not very reliable and when all your clients know that we are in a hurry to get rid of it, you will have to dump the price if you want to sell it.
I really think that the Suns' fans will be very disappointed by the trade of KD this summer.
If KD brings one single pick to the Suns, it will be great !!
The Suns can still keep him until the trade deadline but if they don't manage to trade him by then, KD will just leave Phoenix at the free agency (which is an industrial earthquake !!).
Can you please do nuggets
Spurs are not going to take KDs contract from the Suns cause KD wants to sign a 2 year/120 million extension this year that pays him like 60m a year. Could they do it? sure. But why? They have a team of 20 year olds that are not ready. This is like if OKC traded for KD 3 years ago
Nothing shows you can't make real trades than using the trade machine that isn't right, and then using Spotrac capspace pages. Just use the Spotrac trade machine and stop trying to lie about what trades work and dont
Both Sochan and Keldon are move valued for the Spurs right now than Vassell. Vassell has dropped dramatically in importance once they brought better offensive guard in Fox/Castle in. Devin is the odd man out not KJ or Sochan
Would love a Portland Trail Blazers version. It seems like they may be a 3rd team to look out for in a lot of the Giannias trades
just imagine a fox, castle, durant, Giannis, Wemby Lineup
matt you did not do enough research. locked on nuggets podcast was talking about giving up mpj, nnaji, saric, braun, 2031 pick outright, and 2030 and 2032 first round pick swaps. locked on heat was willing to give up wiggins, robinson, ware, a 2029 pick swap and a 2030 first. the spurs rockets and nuggets deals you layed out are nowhere near enough for kd.
I just want KD 2 go 2 were he can win
KD's got 4 or 5 good years
Washington wizards fan here if we give up that swap back to Phoenix we would be dumb as hell they are definitely a lottery team and we can go into next year's lottery with two teams to root for
You watch too much college and not enough nba… If you watched nba then you would know the suns need wings and bigs… Yet all you are trading to them is guards😂… And suns need to get younger, in ot older.. yet you want to trade washed up players for a 36 old KD THAT IS STILL TOP 10 IN THE LEAGUE. Only good trade in rhis video is the Spurs trade. Rest of the trades are low-ball trades
if KD gets traded 2 the Nuggets if I was KD I would say I won't go there unless Westbrook is N on the trade
KDs value increased as teams realised they can't score in playoffs as they were expected to or wanted to .. KD is a walking bucket even in playoffs 😅