{"id":88972,"date":"2025-06-10T12:51:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T12:51:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/88972\/"},"modified":"2025-06-10T12:51:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T12:51:13","slug":"mock-trade-kevin-durant-to-the-spurs-could-mark-the-start-of-a-suns-soft-rebuild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/88972\/","title":{"rendered":"Mock Trade: Kevin Durant to the Spurs could mark the start of a Suns soft rebuild"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Kevin Durant Mock Trade Week. As one of the most valuable assets the organization holds \u2014 and the most likely piece the Phoenix Suns<\/a> could move \u2014 we\u2019re putting together a weeklong series exploring trade possibilities to determine his true market value. If you haven\u2019t read the lead-up articles laying the groundwork for this, I\u2019d recommend catching up before diving in.<\/p>\n

The San Antonio Spurs<\/a> find themselves at a unique crossroads. They\u2019ve done a lot of things right…and gotten a little lucky along the way. After the Tim Duncan era ended, they embarked on a rebuilding process that finally paid off when a few fortunate ping-pong balls fell their way, landing them a generational big man in Victor Wembanyama. Because they always get lucky when it comes to the draft and big men<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since then, the Spurs have endured a couple of losing seasons, but they\u2019re clearly building toward something meaningful. The acquisition of De\u2019Aaron Fox at the trade deadline signaled their readiness to compete and start constructing a core around Wembanyama.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a tough spot for San Antonio. Wembanyama is only entering his third NBA season, and rushing his development could be costly. The Suns know that lesson all too well, having taken some aggressive \u2014 and arguably unnecessary \u2014 big swings with their roster.<\/p>\n

But a team with cap flexibility and a generational talent like Wembanyama is beginning to make waves in the Western Conference standings. So much so that Kevin Durant\u2019s name has reportedly come up in connection with the Spurs, at least according to his own admission in a recent interview with Arizona Sports\u2019 John Gambadoro.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s talk trades. What would a deal between the Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs for Kevin Durant actually look like?<\/p>\n

At first glance, the Spurs\u2019 roster isn\u2019t exactly overflowing with star power. Instead, they\u2019ve got some expiring contracts that could be packaged to bring in Durant, plus plenty of draft capital. Viewed through that lens, trading Durant could be a smart move for Phoenix, not just to offload salary, but to stockpile future assets. And that makes San Antonio a logical potential landing spot.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s plug some names into the old trade machine and see what shakes out.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Suns receive: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, 2025 1st Round Pick (14th)
\nRockets receive: Kevin Durant<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with San Antonio\u2019s motivation. Why would the Spurs want Kevin Durant?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how I see it: Victor Wembanyama\u2019s season was cut short last year due to deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in his right shoulder. On top of that, there are rumors he\u2019s grown another inch<\/a>, now standing an astonishing 7\u20197\u201d. As agile and elite a defender as he is, there\u2019s a realistic concern that his window might not be as wide open as it seems. Think Ralph Sampson. Think Yao Ming. Even rookie Zach Edey in Memphis is facing physical challenges. When you\u2019re abnormally large, medical issues tend to follow, unfortunately robbing us of what could have been incredible NBA careers.<\/p>\n

So while optimism for Wembanyama\u2019s future is natural, the history is a cautionary tale.<\/p>\n

If the Spurs had the chance to add a proven superstar like Kevin Durant alongside Wembanyama and De\u2019Aaron Fox, this could be a rare opportunity they simply can\u2019t pass up. That\u2019s the logic behind why they might make a trade.<\/p>\n

On the flip side, what would San Antonio offer in return?<\/p>\n

Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan aren\u2019t exactly headline-makers. They\u2019re solid players but carry overpaid contracts, a byproduct of the Spurs needing to offer competitive deals over the past few years. For Phoenix, they\u2019d serve as contract fillers in what would likely be a soft retooling year.<\/p>\n

But Devin Vassell? That\u2019s a different story. He\u2019s the player you\u2019d want to explore keeping long-term. Just beginning to carve out his role as a reliable rotational wing, Vassell can knock down threes at a respectable 36.9% for his career and brings solid defense. He\u2019d be a valuable addition for the Suns at small forward, although he\u2019d be undersized at 6\u20195\u201d.<\/p>\n

The others \u2014 Barnes and Sochan \u2014 could be trade deadline assets or candidates to let walk when their contracts expire. But Vassell? He\u2019s the real prize here.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Once again, it\u2019s the draft return that might make you a little uneasy. The Spurs hold both the third and the 14th overall picks in the upcoming draft. If I were the GM playing NBA 2K and could push any trade through, I\u2019d include that third pick in the deal. Imagine getting both the third and 14th picks from San Antonio for Kevin Durant.<\/p>\n

But in reality? I don\u2019t think the Spurs would part with that third pick. That third overall selection might be more valuable to them than you\u2019d expect. Ace Bailey, the projected third pick, probably won\u2019t single-handedly transform the franchise. Still, he gives them options. He\u2019s the kind of player they\u2019d almost certainly take with that pick.<\/p>\n

The 14th pick? That, I think, the Suns would gladly accept.<\/p>\n

Paired with Phoenix\u2019s 29th overall pick, it would signal the true beginning of a youth movement. You\u2019d have Dunn and Ighodaro from last season, plus three fresh draft picks this year. Throw in Devin Booker and Devin Vassell \u2014 the \u201cDouble D\u2019s\u201d \u2014 and then Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan to see how they fit. Chances are, Barnes and Sochan might be released next year for cap flexibility, giving the Suns the freedom to swing on free agents when the timing is right.<\/p>\n

Is it a perfect trade? No. Nothing in this situation will be perfect. You have to envision the best possible outcome, one that balances short-term flexibility with long-term growth. The short term being the next three years, the long term the next decade.<\/p>\n

For Phoenix, this could be an opportunity to ease some of the pressure they\u2019re under. It might not mean the Suns are ultra-competitive next season, but with the Western Conference rising, maybe it\u2019s time for the Suns to take stock, embrace a soft rebuild, and aim to be competitive in two or three years.<\/p>\n

With Devin Booker in his prime, that would be the ultimate win, given the scenario they currently find themselves in.<\/p>\n

What do you think? Are you on board with this train? Am I crazy for not including the third overall pick? Would it kill you to see Kevin Durant land in San Antonio, or would it just give you more reasons to hate? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.<\/p>\n

Listen to the latest episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. To stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, YouTube Podcasts<\/a>, Amazon Music<\/a>, Podbean<\/a>, or Castbox<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Please subscribe, rate, and review.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to Kevin Durant Mock Trade Week. As one of the most valuable assets the organization holds \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":88973,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3797],"tags":[241,7,4052,137,2133,28,1936,2842,1154,6,169,4561,969,474,4075,4074,2233,8665,534,1659,4053,604,4463,64,63,409],"class_list":{"0":"post-88972","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-antonio-spurs","8":"tag-a","9":"tag-basketball","10":"tag-bright","11":"tag-could","12":"tag-durant","13":"tag-front-page","14":"tag-kevin","15":"tag-mark","16":"tag-mock","17":"tag-nba","18":"tag-of","19":"tag-rebuild","20":"tag-san-antonio","21":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","22":"tag-sanantonio","23":"tag-sanantoniospurs","24":"tag-side","25":"tag-soft","26":"tag-spurs","27":"tag-start","28":"tag-sun","29":"tag-suns","30":"tag-suns-trade-rumors","31":"tag-the","32":"tag-to","33":"tag-trade"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/114659163145617080","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=88972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/88972\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/88973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=88972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=88972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=88972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}