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As the rest of the basketball world prepared for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant was traded for the third time in his career, landing him on his fifth team. His quest to get out of Phoenix became relatively painless, as the Suns reportedly agreed to trade him to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, this year’s 10th pick and five second-round selections.
The Athletic’s Sam Amick confirmed the deal, via team sources. ESPN first reported the trade.
This feels like a rushed deal by an inexperienced front-office executive dealing with a very savvy front office that had plenty of leverage. But maybe once we break down this trade and apply some grades, we’ll find out this is not so bad for both sides. (Plot twist: We won’t.) Let’s bust out the red pen and slap some trade grades down on this deal:
Rockets get Durant
We’ve been curious how patient the Rockets would be with their current situation because they don’t need to rush anything. After a massive leap, going from 41 wins and missing the Play-In Tournament in 2023-24 to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and a first-round exit with a young squad this past season, the Rockets had options heading into the offseason. Many wondered at the trade deadline if they’d make a big splash to cash in for a deep playoff run through the West. Instead, they opted to see what they had in their current core — and what they had was a talented, young, defensive-minded team in need of some offensive punch.
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GO DEEPER
Suns trade Kevin Durant to Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks: Sources
As this week begins, Durant, a potential target for them at the past deadline, is now a Rocket. Yes, the two-time NBA Finals MVP will turn 37 before next season and has missed a lot of time since his Achilles tendon injury in 2019. Regardless, he’s still one of the most unguardable players in the NBA and a pretty complete player at his age. You can drop him into any team and any system, and he’ll find a way to fit.
In his 15th season as an All-Star, he still put up 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 52.7/43.0/83.9 shooting splits for a 64.2 percent true-shooting mark. Those are ridiculous numbers. He missed 20 games, so you have to be concerned about that, but the Suns, as chaotic and dysfunctional as they were, had a 33-29 record with him on the floor and a 3-17 record without him.
Adding Durant to a core with Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Fred VanVleet (assuming they figure out a new contract with him and his team-option situation) is a great jump-off point for building on last season. The Rockets won 52 games, and they shouldn’t need to physically tax Durant throughout the regular season. He’ll be a major part of what they do, but he’s there to boost the team, not save it. The Rockets know they can win 50 games with gritty defense and by beating up opponents for 82 games.
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Once we get to the playoffs, what does it look like for the Rockets? Their big issue against Golden State was an inability to consistently score against a tough defense. Durant has been doing that extremely well for his entire career. The fit is brilliant, and the Rockets don’t really lose any of their depth or identity with it. Assuming they come to terms with the potential two-year, $122 million extension, Durant has a couple of years to help boost the Rockets before some of their other young players need to get paid — meaning this timeline might end up working out perfectly.
As for what they gave up, to not lose players such as Cam Whitmore or Eason, along with any of Phoenix’s picks the Rockets own past this year? Mastery.
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Grade: A+
Suns get Green, Brooks, No. 10 pick, five second-round selections
Plain and simple: The new, inexperienced Suns front office, with Brian Gregory as the new general manager, got worked in this deal. These should have been the Suns’ goals in a Kevin Durant trade with the Rockets:
- Get (some of) your picks back (this year’s, 2027, 2029)
- Acquire Eason
- Gain some cap relief
- Bring in veterans that will help keep you competitive
- Make sure you have a starting big man
Even with the 10th pick, originally their own, coming to them, they barely got any of this, and I’m not sure how much Brooks or Green even help with the makeup of this team. Green doesn’t really fit into a team with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on it. The 23-year-old is more of a long-term play than Beal, who has a couple years left on his deal, but we know that Beal has been blocking trades left and right with his no-trade clause. I’m not quite sure how much development in a proper role Green even gets.
For the Suns, they have three scoring guards of differing levels who like the ball in their hands. It’s a terrible fit for at least two years, unless you can flip one of them (and one of them can’t be Booker). Or, create an environment that Beal wants out of sooner rather than later.
Another thing worth remembering? The Suns can’t tank because Houston still has many of their picks!
Maybe they can flip Brooks if they don’t feel he can come in and change their sad defense by himself. He can contribute to the team’s attitude, but he’s not going to make something terrible into a passable product. He’s not quite that dynamic defensively. Maybe they feel they can draft a very productive, young big man at No. 10. If Khaman Maluach is still available, he would be a good pick to grab and try to develop, but he probably doesn’t help you win right away. Remember, they still can’t tank!
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Perhaps Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s obsession with his alma mater Michigan State causes him and Gregory to reach for 6-foot-1 guard Jase Richardson at No. 10, just to keep it all in the family. Regardless, the five second-round picks are not going to be enough to make this a great deal. The only reason this deal isn’t a complete failure is the Suns might nail the 10th pick and get a franchise player or a really good top-three guy for their team. They might flip one of their big-name guards for better depth and assets down the road.
The Suns decided they needed to get a deal done before the draft. Fine. This could not have possibly been the best deal for them.
Grade: D
(Photo of Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr.: Rick Scuteri / USA Today Network via Imagn Images )