Suns Send Kevin Durant to Warriors in Three-Team Mock Trade

The Phoenix Suns are still heavy in trade rumors as we move closer to the offseason.

Apr 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The long offseason continues for the Phoenix Suns.

This time, it's in the form of another trade suggestion.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report suggested the Suns should find a way to retool a situation that needs a serious makeover, to his vantage point at least.

This specific scenario would involve a three-team deal between the Suns, Golden State Warriors, and Orlando Magic.

It would ultimately encapsulate a reunion between Durant and the Warriors - nearly five years after the pair decided to split up.

The details surrounding the trade from the perspective of the Suns:

Suns Receive: Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Kevon Looney, Caleb Houstan, a 2025 first-round pick from Orlando (via Denver), a 2026 first-round pick from Golden State, a 2028 first-round pick from Golden State

Suns Lose: Kevin Durant and a 2028 second-round pick (via Boston)

This specific trade would almost certainly lead to a downtick in on-court production, but Bailey attempts to justify the move from the perspective of Phoenix nonetheless.

"This deal gets Phoenix part of the way out of that quagmire, by saving it tens of millions of dollars, boosting its depth, getting them some young talent and restocking an almost totally bare cabinet of future draft picks.

Of course, the Suns would almost certainly be taking a step back on the court, but continued development from Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski would probably keep them in the hunt for a play-in spot. Kevon Looney would be an upgrade (both in terms of versatility and experience) over Drew Eubanks as a backup 5. And Caleb Houstan is an interesting flyer for a team in need of some youth.

It may be impossible to sell all of that to Ishbia (or Budenholzer), but the writing is on the wall. Phoenix is old. The West is loaded with younger, deeper teams (the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks to name a few). And it doesn't have many avenues for change outside of a Durant or Booker trade."

- Andy Bailey

The general premise is based around the Suns acknowledging that this nucleus will not win a title and moving Durant - who is the most obvious trade candidate were they to choose the "retool" approach.

Podziemski and Kuminga are both intriguing players that have shown star-level upsdie, but it simply doesn't feel like a strong enough return - that is even if a Durant trade were to be explored.

The trade discussions were shut down by James Jones recently, and it looks as if the Suns are fully committed to keeping the core intact for the 2024-25 season.

Trade rumors won't slow down anytime soon, and Suns fans might need to be open to the possibility of a trade happening further down the line.