If the Suns trade Durant, here’s what comes next.
The power forward position looms as one of the more intriguing questions facing the Phoenix Suns this offseason. Chief among the uncertainties? The Kevin Durant decision. It casts a long shadow.
Durant will draw interest, and rightfully so. He’s one of the greatest scorers this game has ever seen. The way he gets buckets is almost poetic, his shot-making bordering on surreal. He makes the impossible look routine. And if he’s no longer wearing a Suns jersey next season, we’ll feel that loss. Deeply.
Because if the playoffs remind us of anything, it’s this: shot-making still reigns. The teams who survive are the ones who can score when it matters most. And Kevin Durant? He’s Hall of Fame caliber when it comes to delivering under duress.
Should the Suns choose to pivot — to move on from Durant — it will create a gaping hole at the four. One that won’t be filled by a player of his pedigree. That’s not how trades work. You don’t replace Kevin Durant. You adapt in his absence.
So what’s the plan? Do you try to patch it together in free agency? Do you hope that whoever comes back in a trade can bridge the gap?
So far, we’ve looked at point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards.
Today, we shift to the next position on our list of unrestricted free agents: power forward.
You look at this list of available power forwards and the first thing that jumps out? It’s filled with veterans. The average age of the unrestricted free agents at the position is 29.3 years. Translation: you’re not building for the future here. You’re not discovering untapped potential or betting on upside. You’re looking for stability. For someone with a higher floor than most.
For me? That’s Chris Boucher.
Much like Alec Burks, who we mentioned when talking shooting guards, Boucher is someone I’ve quietly monitored for years. Now 32, he’s never been a prolific scorer or elite shooter. But he plays with an edge. He brings energy. He does the little things — the intangible things — that this Suns team lacked last season.
In an ideal scenario, you’re bringing Boucher in as an ancillary piece. A role player. But if Phoenix trades Kevin Durant, suddenly the spotlight on Boucher gets a little brighter. Is that a good thing? A bad thing? Depends on your appetite for chaos.
Photo by Kevin Sousa/Getty Images
Then there’s Larry Nance Jr.
Another name I’ve always liked, though time is catching up to him. The days of Nance flustering Phoenix with his size and switchability back in the 2022 postseason feel like a fading memory. His production has dipped. His health has been spotty; he played just 24 games last season due to knee and ankle issues. In fact, the most games he’s ever logged in a single season? 67, way back in 2018-19.
Still, if you’re talking about bench depth and adding functional size to a historically undersized franchise, Nance checks boxes.
He’s not a savior. But he’s solid. He gives you optionality. The Suns have never truly boasted a dominant frontcourt, outside of brief stints from guys like Charles Barkley, Antonio McDyess, and Rodney Rogers. Adding a healthy Nance, in a reserve role, could help Phoenix toggle defensive looks and adapt mid-game, something they struggled with mightily this past season.
But again, all of this depends on what kind of offseason this becomes.
Do the Suns double down around Booker and Durant? Do they pivot and rebuild? Do they retool around Booker alone?
The possibilities are wide open. The free agency class? Not so much.
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