Evaluating Suns' Return in Kevin Durant Trade

How does the new era of Suns basketball look after Phoenix traded Kevin Durant?

Feb 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) and forward Dillon Brooks (9) watch play against the Utah Jazz from the bench during the first half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images / Rob Gray-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- New Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory has made his first roster move, and it's a big one.

After months of rumors, the Suns traded an all-time great in Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in Wednesday's draft and five second-round picks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro reported on X that the second-round picks are No. 59 this year, two second-rounders in 2026, Boston's in 2030 and the Rockets' in 2032.

The trade can't be official until the new league year begins on July 6.

There were four other finalists up until the last moment for Durant - the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors were the others - but Phoenix ultimately went with the team that figured to be the best landing spot for Durant ever since last summer.

Last offseason, the Rockets acquired Phoenix's first-round picks in 2025 and 2027, as well as a first-round pick swap in 2029, from the Brooklyn Nets, who originally acquired the picks from the Suns as part of the return package for Durant in Feb. 2023.

Phoenix only salvaged this year's pick in the deal, but did load up on second-round picks, which it was very depleted on before this trade, giving it good future assets.

The Suns now own the No. 10, No. 29, No. 52 and No. 59 picks in this year's draft, giving them a lot of opportunity to add young talent or even move up in the draft.

Durant has a great relationship with Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and assistant Royal Ivey. Houston was the No. 2 overall seed in the West this season, but lost in the first round mainly due to their lack of a go-to scorer, which Durant will now provide.

In terms of Green and Brooks for the Suns, it would make a lot of sense if the Suns re-route Green to another team because of the positional overlap with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. However, Gambadoro reports that the Suns plan to keep Green to pair alongside Booker.

The Suns do not plan to trade Jalen Green, he is expected to play alongside Devin Booker in the backcourt.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) June 22, 2025

At 23 years old, Green is a very up-and-down player and struggled mightily in the playoffs, but he has shortage of talent, averaging 21 points this past season with some highlight-reel plays throughout the year.

The addition of Green likely signals the end of Beal's time on the Suns, which has been highly expected if Phoenix can find a way to buy him out or trade him given the two years, over $110 million remaining and no-trade clause in Beal's contract.

Beal and Green both play a similar style, and it has become very apparent that Beal does not fit with the Suns, so we will see if Green can find a way to integrate himself alongside Booker, but he does have a lot more room to grow given his age.

Green's rookie extension kicks in next season, and he will be on the first year of a three-year, $105.3 million deal.

The 29-year-old Brooks is a big get in terms of setting a new culture and identity that Suns owner Mat Ishbia wants to establish. He is a very polarizing player that opponents and fans do not like to play against, but Phoenix and Suns fans will now get to experience what it is like to have him on their team's roster.

Brooks and Ryan Dunn could form a very strong defense on the wings alongside Booker.

Brooks is entering year three of a four-year, $86 million contract and is due just north of $21 million next year.

With Green and Brooks coming over, the Suns' current seven highest-paid players next season are all now shooting guards or small forwards who are 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6 - Beal, Booker, Green, Brooks, Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Cody Martin (non-guaranteed) - which makes for obvious concerns.

Suns' depth chart:

PG:
SG: Devin Booker, Dillon Brooks, Bradley Beal, Jalen Green, Grayson Allen
SF:
PF:
C:

— Dan Feldman (@DanFeldmanNBA) June 22, 2025

Phoenix did noticeably miss out on acquiring a lot of young talent from Houston, which includes Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Reed Sheppard, at the end of all of this. It was presumed Phoenix was waiting for Houston to include at least one of these players in the deal.

The Suns also did not end up with a center in return for Durant, which according to multiple reports, was a position they coveted.

With that said, there are still several holes left to fill on the roster, but Phoenix now has draft picks and other tradeable players to try to address those needs.

Beal, O'Neale, Allen and Martin are all trade candidates for the Suns that they can use to plug in the other gaps on their roster.

As of now, Green, Booker, Brooks, Dunn and Nick Richards figure to be the starting five on paper next season, starting a new era of Suns basketball that this trade suggests will feature a lot of youth and defensive-minded players around Booker and Green.