Sporting a current record of 30-36 and possessing the No. 13 seed in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns’ 2024-25 season could become one of the most disappointing campaigns in recent memory by season’s end, especially if they fail to obtain a spot in the Play-In Tournament.
15-time All-Star Kevin Durant’s eventual departure from the Suns via trade this offseason has been a widely reported topic in recent weeks, though it’s plausible to believe that instead of dealing away the future Hall of Fame inductee, Phoenix’s general manager James Jones could choose to go a different route.
In fact, recent trade proposals have indicated that Jones could build around Durant in the immediate future if it’s determined that they have a better chance of winning a title with him sticking around.
Instead of parting with Durant, it could be the Suns’ 28-year-old Devin Booker that is shipped out in exchange for a massive package from the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer to help the team compete in the present and build for the future.
“If there’s any team around the league that could help the Suns replenish their draft cabinet, it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder,” FanSided’s Jack Simone wrote Wednesday.
“Lu Dort is a solid player, and Isaiah Joe is an elite shooter, but both are likely better as supporting cast members. Nikola Topic is a rookie, but he tore his ACL before the draft and has yet to play in an NBA game.”
“The real prize in the deal, however, are the first-round picks the Thunder could offer. They have so many picks in this year’s draft, and beyond that, they could throw the farm at Phoenix for Booker.”
Though it remains a highly unlikely scenario, Simone suggests that the Thunder could offer Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Nikola Topić, Ousmane Dieng, four first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps in exchange for Booker.
Phoenix receiving the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Topić and six first-round draft selections is what would make this deal so tempting from a front office perspective.
In that same vein, bringing in a potential All-Defensive Team selection from this season in Dort and integrating lethal three-point threat Joe into their rotation could hypothetically help to round out their roster and drastically improve their defensive intensity.
At 25 years old, Dort is an incredibly strong and agile defensive presence and much-improved offensive contributor, as he’s averaging 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks while knocking down a career-best 39.8% of his looks from distance in 61 appearances for the Thunder this season.
As for Joe, the 6-foot-5 guard has become one of the NBA’s premier long-range marksmen, as evidenced by an impressive career 39.7% three-point shooting clip through his first five seasons.
If the Suns were presented with the idea of surrounding Durant with two stellar talents that could be of assistance on both sides of the ball while also gaining a gargantuan haul of draft assets, they might do a double-take.
Still, Phoenix is most likely not prepared to relinquish the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (16,080 points) and four-time All-Star in Booker.
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