New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Idea Sends Kevin Durant to 76ers, Paul George + 3rd Pick To Suns, Hawks Add Depth

The offseason is here for 26 teams in the NBA. The conference semifinals are almost over and there are only four teams left alive with hopes of making it to the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Heading into this offseason, the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, and Philadelphia 76ers are all searching for the next steps to take as a franchise, which is different for all three.

Atlanta is going to be a team worth watching. Most will point to a potential Trae Young trade, but that does not appear likely (for now) and Atlanta may move forward with this core of Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. If the Hawks decide to do that, they need to improve their bench in a big way this offseason. Due to the NBA's CBA and apron rules, you are going to be seeing a lot more three-team trades between teams so salaries can move around. Atlanta could try to attach themselves to a big deal and add some pieces to their bench if they opt to move forward with this starting five. The Hawks need interior defense, frontcourt depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. This is not a great free agent class to be filling those needs, so could the Hawks look to the trade market? NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

Per @TheSteinLine:

- Search firm Sportsology, which is helping the Hawks with their hunt for a new president of basketball operations, has been reaching out to various agents to gauge their interest in making such a move.

- Whether the Hawks do or don't prove open to fielding… pic.twitter.com/eVQeOIzwcO
— Hawks Lead (@HawksLead) May 12, 2025

Phoenix is in perhaps the bleakest situation in the entire NBA. They do not control their own draft picks for the rest of the decade, they are in the dreaded second apron and have little means to improve, and are stuck with the Bradley Beal contract, which has a no-trade clause. It seems like the only way that the Suns can improve their team is if they decide to trade one or both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, with Durant being the far more likely option. What kind of return would Durant get the Suns given his age and injury history? It is one of the more fascinating questions in the NBA.

Philadelphia had just about everything go wrong this past season, a season they had hoped to be a contender. There is uncertainty around Joel Embiid's health and Paul George's contract looks like one of the worst in the NBA. The team lucked out by getting the No. 3 pick in this year's draft, but what will they do with it? In an updated NBA mock draft, ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony mentioned that packaging the No. 3 pick with Paul George to land a star such as Kevin Durant or Lauri Markkanen:

"Some teams expect the Sixers to be active in trade conversations, with names such as Kevin Durant (Phoenix) and Lauri Markkanen (Utah) as potential targets in packages that could include Paul George and the No. 3 pick. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made a career of being active and aggressive on the trade front, but historically, it's rare to see a top-three pick being traded.

Adding a young, talented prospect could be appealing as a reset to the team's timeline, offering long-term hope among Joel Embiid's injury concerns and George's significant contract, which might not age well."

So how about a trade where each of these teams tries to fill a need?

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Hawks Receive: Royce O'Neale and Grayson Allen

76ers Receive: Kevin Durant and Cody Martin

Suns Receive: Paul George, Terance Mann, Georges Niang, and a 2025 1st Round Pick (No. 3 Pick From PHI), 2027 2nd round pick (From ATL, via CLE), a 2029 2nd round pick (From ATL, via CLE), and a 2030 2nd round pick (Via ATL)

Why the Hawks do this trade: They upgrade their bench and add shooting. Both Allen and O'Neale shot above 40% from three last season and would give the Hawks a big boost there. O'Neale is a solid defender and has plenty of familiarity with Quin Snyder from their days in Utah. Atlanta moves a bad defender (Niang) and a player who could not find a fit on either end of the floor (Mann). This is about getting more knockdown shooters to put around Trae Young.

Why the Hawks don't do this trade: They would rather have Mann and Niang. While Allen and O'Neale might be better in a vacuum, are they enough of an upgrade where they make this trade? Both Allen and O'Neale have three years left on their contracts and Allen is not very good on the defense end.

Why the 76ers do this trade: If Philadelphia does not like any of their options with the 3rd pick, they could look to move it for a win now piece to put around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. With the Tatum injury in Boston and another disappointing playoff appearance from Cleveland, the East has an opening for a contending team to challenge either the Knicks or the Pacers. Not only that, they get off the George contract. Durant makes them an instant contender if Embiid is healthy.

Why the 76ers don't do this trade: They would rather keep the pick because they like their options. This mostly comes down to how Philly views the players they could take at No. 3

Why the Suns do this trade: They get financial relief and get under the 2nd apron and they get a chance to take a star player at No. 3 (Ace Bailey), plus adding future 2nd's. This does not completely change Phoenix's future because they are still out of a number of picks for the future, but they get the 3rd pick and a chance at a star player. If George can stay healthy and rediscover his form from two years ago with the Clippers, that would be a plus. Niang and Mann replace Allen and O'Neale on the bench and Niang is an expiring deal.

Why the Suns don't do this trade: Someone makes a bigger offer for Durant. While Durant won't fetch the kind of return that Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely to get (if he wants to be traded), Phoenix should be able to get a good return. George could be one of the worst contracts in the league and the No. 3 pick might not be able to truly help while Devin Booker is in his prime.

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

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