The NBA offseason is officially here for the Phoenix Suns, and the rumors are already churning. Since the dramatic NBA trade deadline, which saw rumors fly of a potential last-minute Kevin Durant trade, the story out of Phoenix has been that the Suns will move Durant come the offseason.
NBA minds from Brian Windhorst to Shams Charania continue to suggest that it is more likely a matter of when, not if, Durant is traded, and the Suns may already have the perfect trade partners lined up.
On Wednesday, April 2, ESPN insider Shams Charania appeared on the Pat McAfee show once again to discuss the likelihood of Durant being dealt this summer. Charania mentioned six teams that had, at least previously, expressed interest in acquiring Durant: the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs.
It's important to remember that Phoenix will not only consider trading Durant this summer, but according to Charania, they will also work with Durant on his next potential landing spot. In a recent piece on the firing of Suns' Head Coach Mike Budenholzer, Charnia detailed some of the expected conversations the Suns will have this offseason.
"Phoenix is expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant and will have discussions on the future of Beal, according to sources. Multiple teams will seriously pursue Durant, who finished another stellar season, and the franchise is expected to work with Durant and his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer."
While all of those teams make sense to a degree, one stands out as the potential perfect trade partner or Phoenix, that being the Houston Rockets.
Why are the Rockets the perfect trade partners for the Suns?
So much between Houston and Phoenix lines up so perfectly that it doesn't take long to see the connection. Houston, currently the second seed in the Western Conference, is a team ready to make the leap into contention.
One could easily argue they are already there, but a lack of grizzled playoff performers — Fred VanVleet aside — gives reasonable pause to the idea. Adding a multi-champion superstar to the equation would certainly change that.
The Rockets have long been rumored to be stockpiling both draft picks and young talent in an effort to land a superstar talent. At the top of the list has consistently been two names. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. The cheaper option of the two and unquestionably the better fit, Kevin Durant's potential future in Houston has long been forscene, but not just because of Houston's interest.
What makes the Rockets the ideal trade partners with Phoenix — beyond the simple amount of youth and draft assets the team possesses — is the particular draft assets they posses, as they initially belonged to the Suns.
In March, the asking price to land Durant was reported as "three first-round picks and a young player as part of a multi-team deal to get under the second apron." That coming from Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
If that doesn't scream Houston, I don't know what does. The Rockets fit not just because of the team's sheer number of youth and draft assets but also because of the particular draft assets they possess, as they initially belonged to the Suns.
The Houston Rockets are the perfect trade partners for the Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant.
Houston owns the rights to Phoenix's unprotected first round picks in 2025-ninth overall pre-lottery, 2027, and 2029. Beyond their draft capital, the Rockets have several young prospects who could satisfy Phoenix's trade desires.
Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun are all proven talents who are 23 or younger. Unfortunately for Phoenix, the Rockets have little need to move any of those players for Durant due to a variety of factors.
That ranges from their draft asset pool to Durant's value not being what it once was, and arguably most importantly, the Rockets have even more high-potential youth who the Suns could reasonably desire.
Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, is perhaps the most valuable prospect who the Rockets would realistically move in a Durant deal. Cam Whitmore is the clear No. 2 in that regard.
Sheppard's first season and Whitmore's sophomore campaign were disappointing. They both had an uneven role in Houston, as the Rockets were rightfully more concerned with securing a top-two seed in the Western Conference than player development. Towards the end of the season, both Sheppard and Whitmore found their roles increasing, looking increasingly more comfortable on the floor.
Pair one or both Sheppard and Whitmore alongside Phoenix's returned draft capital, and the Suns have a deal that is pretty difficult to decline. Then, factoring in the location, Houston is not only a desirable location but also a top 10 market in the league, a location whose state does not have a federal income tax. For Durant, the opportunity to join a young yet already proven talent is good enough for the second seed in the West.