Suns Facing End of Kevin Durant Era

When the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant two years ago, it was an attempt to keep the team's championship window opened.

The Suns were in the NBA Finals in 2021, but after taking a step back losing in the Conference Semifinals in 2022, Phoenix wanted to ensure the same wouldn't happen in 2023.

The Suns decided to go all in with the approval of new owner Mat Ishbia and trade everything but the kitchen sink for Durant, who had quickly become available after the Brooklyn Nets dealt Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks.

At the time of the move, the Suns were applauded for their boldness, but in hindsight, it was a deal that turned out flat, and now Phoenix might have to move on from Durant without much to show for it.

"It’s very possible that Durant has played his last game for the Suns, though he still has another year left on his contract. If they trade him, the Suns certainly won’t get the kind of assets they sent to Brooklyn to acquire the 36-year-old, and as things stand, they’ll have Cleveland’s pick (likely 29th) in the first round of the Draft instead of their own (which belongs to Houston)," NBA.com contributor John Schuhmann writes.

Apart from six playoff wins in 2023, the Suns don't have much to show in the Durant era, which is far less than what Ishbia had envisioned when Phoenix made the move.

The Suns could hypothetically keep Durant, but that would limit them from changing much about the roster this offseason. With other teams getting better in the West, the Suns have to evolve with the rest of the conference.

Teams like the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies, who were lottery teams a year ago, got better as the Suns regressed, forcing them to take their spot on the outside looking in.

Trading Durant would at least give the Suns somewhat of a change that could lead to something new, but it will come down to the personnel on next season's team to figure that out.