Kevin Durant trade proposals range from calculated to chaotic

Now it’s your turn to vote.

There’s a storm brewing, and you can feel it in your bones. The air hangs heavy with anticipation, the wind beginning to stir as something big looms on the horizon. It’s not just a metaphor; it’s the unmistakable shift that precedes everything that changes.

The Phoenix Suns are deep in trade negotiations, inching closer to parting ways with Kevin Durant. If you haven’t already, turn your notifications on. We’re entering that volatile window where news can drop at any moment, and when it does, it’ll hit like a monsoon.

Yesterday, I had a moment. I was climbing into my truck for a quick run to the local Shell station. Just a man on a mission for a six-pack of Firestone Walker 805. Then, the vibration. “Shams Charania” and “Kevin Durant” lit up my screen. My heart skipped. My breath caught. For a second, I thought this was it. That the sky had cracked open. That the trade had gone down, and the storm had officially arrived.

False alarm.

But it’s a reminder that we are near.

This past week has been “Kevin Durant Mock Trade Week” here at Bright Side. The writing team has been grinding through mock trade after mock trade, fully aware that predicting the deal that ultimately sends the 15-time All-Star out of Phoenix is like trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

The NBA trade machine is complex, layered with salary-matching rules, luxury tax constraints, and the increasing likelihood of third and even fourth teams joining the fray. But complexity never stopped us from diving in headfirst and having a little fun along the way. We wanted to explore just how far Kevin Durant’s value could stretch and how the Suns might reshape their future in the process.

And now, as mock trade week comes to a close, we turn it over to you.

Below is a collection of every proposed deal we came up with, each crafted with creativity, analysis, and a bit of wishful thinking. Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Give each trade a letter grade based on what the Suns would receive in return, vote on which deal you think is the most realistic, and tell us which one you’d most want to see Phoenix pull the trigger on.

---

Trade 1: Durant to the Rockets

Suns receive: Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., 2025 First-Round Pick (10th)

Rockets receive: Kevin Durant, 2025 First-Round Pick (29th)

From John Voita:

“Here’s what the trade accomplishes for Phoenix: it injects much-needed youth and flexibility into a veteran-heavy lineup. You’re adding Green, Smith, and the No. 10 pick, three assets that can either be developed, moved, or leveraged for future deals. Green could be flipped down the line for a player archetype more in line with the franchise’s long-term vision, or packaged in a multi-team deal. Either way, it’s about breaking up the KD contract and restoring flexibility.”

---

Trade 1: Durant to the Spurs

Suns receive: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, 2025 1st Round Pick (14th)

Spurs receive: Kevin Durant

From John Voita:

“Is it a perfect trade? No. Nothing in this situation will be perfect. You have to envision the best possible outcome, one that balances short-term flexibility with long-term growth. The short term being the next three years, the long term the next decade.

For Phoenix, this could be an opportunity to ease some of the pressure they’re under. It might not mean the Suns are ultra-competitive next season, but with the Western Conference rising, maybe it’s time for the Suns to take stock, embrace a soft rebuild, and aim to be competitive in two or three years.”

Trade 3: Durant to the Spurs by way of the Jazz

Suns receive: Lauri Markkanen, 2025 First Round Pick (14th)

Jazz receive: Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, 2025 First Round Pick (2nd)

Spurs receive: Kevin Durant, John Collins, 2025 First Round Pick (5th)

From Bruce Veliz:

“By bringing Lauri Markkanen to Phoenix, you add another supplementary scorer on the wing to play alongside Booker. At 7’0” tall, the Suns would replace Durant with a player who can similarly play the same role in his position, even if the production is not 100% replicated. His numbers over the last seasons have been impressive when he has been a major part of an offense. However, Markkanen, who dealt with injuries and a tanking team, did not get to showcase his best ability on his new extension.”

Trade 4: Durant to the Clippers by way of the Jazz

Suns receive: Lauri Markkanen, Ivica Zubac

Jazz receive: Norman Powell, Grayson Allen, Derrick Jones, Jr., 2029 First Round Pick (via PHX), 2030 First Round Pick (via LAC)

Clippers receive: Kevin Durant

From John Voita:

“For the Suns, it’s about balance and size. They move on from Kevin Durant and, in return,n land Lauri Markkanen and Ivica Zubac. A team that’s long struggled with interior presence suddenly has a starting center coming off a career year and a skilled, versatile forward in Markkanen. It’s not a reset. It’s a recalibration.

Do the Clippers want to cash in Zubac’s peak for Durant’s pedigree? If they ever did, now’s the moment.

Sure, this deal is probably a pipe dream. A trade spun out by a hopeful homer. But the math works. The logic works. And for each team, there’s a case to be made.

So why not?”

Trade 5: Durant to the Raptors

Suns receive: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poetl, Gradey Dick, 2025 1st Round Pick (9th)

Raptors receive: Kevin Durant

From Holden Sherman:

“The biggest acquisitions the Suns would be making in this deal would be for Poetl and the ninth pick. Poetl would be Phoenix’s best big since Deandre Ayton, and would provide the team with a consistent interior presence, one that the past two seasons starting centers have lacked. While he played just 57 games, he averaged a career-high 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds. He can’t space the floor but he’s experienced and shoots 63.7% from the field for his career.

Lastly, with Phoenix lacking draft picks for the foreseeable future, the chance to have a lottery pick is something the Suns should not take lightly. Whether they would take a developmental project or a more polished player, the opportunity to draft someone high is something they need to take advantage of.”

Trade 6: Durant to the Timbwerwolves

Suns receive: Julius Randle, Donte DiVicenzo, Mike Conley

Timberwolves receive: Kevin Durant

From John Voita:

“Randle is a capable power forward. He’s more than serviceable, with flashes of dominance. He had a strong postseason run until running into Oklahoma City’s buzzsaw. Conley is steady, poised. And Donte DiVincenzo? He’s on a team-friendly deal, he brings edge, defends the passing lanes like a hawk, and plays with a relentless motor. That’s culture-setting stuff, exactly the kind of player Jordan Ott can build around.

So yes, you make this trade knowing the short-term results might still be murky. But it’s not just about next season. It’s about resetting the window. Reframing the future. Reimagining what the Phoenix Suns can become.”

Trade 7: Durant and Beal to the Clippers

Suns receive: Jordan Poole, Marcus Smart, Richaun Holmes, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Saddiq Bey

Wizards receive: Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal

From Rod Argent:

“Of course it’s a bad trade for Washington and it has no chance of happening but who cares. It gets a good return for Durant, moves Beal’s contract and gets the Suns below the 2nd tax apron all in one fell swoop! It even makes a little bit of warped sense because the trade sends both KD and Beal “home” to DC (KD was born there and Beal of course played there for 11 seasons).”

---

So, which path feels most likely? And which one should they choose?

Because there’s a difference between what’s probable and what’s right.

A million paths lie before the Suns. Whichever path the Suns choose will speak volumes about the state of the organization.

Can they truly maximize their return? Is Brian Gregory the shrewd negotiator this front office needs? Are they eyeing a soft reset, or are they doubling down by swinging for yet another max-contract star? Perhaps they’re breaking Durant’s deal into smaller, more flexible pieces to regain control over their cap sheet. And how much draft capital will they claw back in the process? These questions — and the ripple effects that follow — could begin to take shape as early as next week.

Fittingly, it’s Father’s Day. And if history is any indication, that matters. It was Father’s Day 2023 when the Beal Deal dropped and forever changed the course of this franchise. So keep your eyes up and your phones on. A new chapter may be just hours away from being written.

---

Listen to the latest episode of the Suns JAM Session Podcast below. To stay up to date on every episode, subscribe to the pod on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, YouTube Podcasts, Amazon Music, Podbean, or Castbox.

Please subscribe, rate, and review.