We have seen two blockbuster trades in the NBA over the last week, and it appears another might be in the works right now. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, a scenario where Kevin Durant is sent to the Golden State Warriors and Jimmy Butler goes to the Phoenix Suns is currently in play.
“One reason for the significant uptick in Durant chatter, sources said, is that trading him appears to be the only way for Phoenix to acquire Miami’s Jimmy Butler before Thursday’s deadline. Why would the Suns want Butler if they no longer have Durant on the roster? No one asked by The Stein Line has been able to furnish a good answer to that question, but rumbles persist that a scenario that transports Butler from South Beach to the desert — with Durant moving back to the Bay Area — is indeed in play.”
The Suns had shown no desire to trade Durant for the longest time. They appear to be open to parting ways with him now, though, as they have failed to find a way to move Bradley Beal for Butler. As stated there, though, it doesn’t make much sense to ship Durant out of town and then land Butler, who is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2024-25.
Sure, moving Durant to the Warriors means more assets could be sent to the Miami Heat to acquire Butler, but what’s the point of getting him then? The whole reason to go after Butler is that the 25-24 Suns are not serious title contenders at present and parting with Durant to get him would make them worse than they are now.
You’d think the Suns would never do this, but nothing can be ruled out after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic for an underwhelming haul to the Los Angeles Lakers. If that deal can go down, then anything can.
As for what the Suns might be hoping to gain by sending Durant to the Warriors, we get a bit of an idea from Sam Amick, David Aldridge, and Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
“League sources say four-time All-Star forward Draymond Green, who has an established relationship with fellow Michigan State alum and Suns owner Mat Ishbia, is among the Warriors players Phoenix is known to covet.”
“The Suns also have indicated a level of interest in fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, a player the Warriors drafted seventh overall in 2021, have been protective of in most trade discussions for years and still view as part of the future. But Durant’s potential availability, and this once-unthinkable notion of him reuniting with the franchise he helped lead to two titles, has a way of altering the discussion.”
So, perhaps the Suns are looking to land Butler, Draymond Green, and Jonathan Kuminga by parting with Durant, who is averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 2024-25. That could be seen as a decent haul, but it still doesn’t make them a serious contender.
As for the Heat, The Athletic reports they’d be getting Andrew Wiggins in this scenario. Wiggins would be a solid addition, and with him having two years left on his deal after this season, including a player option for 2026-27, the Heat aren’t making a huge financial commitment either.
The Warriors would be losing a lot in this scenario, though. Would it be worth it to give up three key pieces for Durant? Probably not, but they appear desperate to bring in a star. With the Feb. 6 trade deadline on the horizon, we’ll find out soon enough if they do decide to pull the trigger.
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