Revisiting Suns, Rockets Trade for Kevin Durant: Who Really Won?

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns were able to put behind the disappointment of the previous two seasons behind them this year in a surprising fashion after trading away Kevin Durant last summer.

Phoenix wasn't thought to be anywhere close to a playoff team after missing the playoffs in the 2024-25 season even with Durant and Bradley Beal on the roster, but the Suns proved everyone wrong by getting in as the eighth seed and being in the playoff picture almost all year long.

Looking back at it, were the Suns the ultimate winner of the Durant trade?

Evaluating Kevin Durant Trade 1 Season Later

Apr 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) against Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Durant tenure in Phoenix did not end on a high note after the Suns tried to trade him without his knowledge ahead of the deadline last year, which completely took him by surprise and left the writing on the wall for the summer to come.

After months of rumors, Durant was finally sent to the Houston Rockets for a package of Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, draft picks that ended up being Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea, as well as a 2026 second-round pick.

Both the Suns and Rockets ended up being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, as Durant missed five of Houston's six playoff games due to injury.

Because of the circumstances, it's hard to see the Suns coming out better than they did with the trade they got for Durant.

“We knew we had to do it, to make the trade. We knew we were going to make the trade. What we had to do is make sure we got the right things that were aligned with our identity," Suns owner Mat Ishbia told The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin two weeks ago. "We look at it, we got four guys. We got Dillon, Jalen, Khaman and Rasheer (Fleming) because we used those picks to get the 31st pick (in the second round). Those players, could they all start next year, could they start the year after? Those are all four great players. So we feel great about what we did.

“Kevin is in Houston now and the way we looked at it is how do we make sure our organization is put in the best position for now and in the future. I think we did a very good job with it. You look at it now, it turned out to be a great trade for us. Not everyone said that the day we did it, but it turned out to be a fantastic trade for us and a huge part of our resetting our identity with those guys and building for the future as well.”

It's hard to argue with Ishbia given the success the Suns have had and now have two core pieces in Brooks and Green, as well as youth in Maluach, Fleming and Brea, which is an element of the team they did not have before the trade.

Looking back to where the Suns were a year ago to now, they are on a completely different trajectory and a large part of it is the return they got for Durant.

Brooks is the main factor in this, as he played a crucial role in help usher in a new identity and culture for the group.

Looking at what other rumored trade packages could have potentially been for Durant (Minnesota - Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Rob Dillingham, No. 17, No. 31 picks; Miami - Andrew Wiggins, Kel'el Ware, Duncan Robinson, No. 20 pick, future draft capital), the Suns might have been able to get more talent, but it's hard to see a situation where their identity also completely shifted and they got younger.

Phoenix did not get back a true star or even future draft capital for Durant, but the Suns have something to work with now and haven't even seen the true potential of the trade with Green injured the majority of the season and Maluach and Fleming not getting many opportunities their rookie seasons.

Overall, the Suns could not have asked for much more than they got and it's clear they won the trade for their needs especially factoring in the disappointing results of the past two seasons.

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