The Suns get a chance to add some depth and youth in this potential deal.
Welcome to Kevin Durant Mock Trade Week. As one of the most valuable assets the organization holds — and the most likely piece the Phoenix Suns could move — we’re putting together a weeklong series exploring trade possibilities to determine his true market value. If you haven’t read the lead-up articles laying the groundwork for this, I’d recommend catching up before diving in.
Reports and logic suggest that Kevin Durant’s next team will most likely be one of the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves or Miami Heat…at least per ESPN’s Shams Charania, who, with Woj out of the picture, is the NBA reporter with the most scoops now.
ESPN reporting: The Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant’s business partner, Rich Kleiman, are sorting through trade options – with interested teams mainly featuring Houston, San Antonio, Minnesota, Miami and New York.https://t.co/tqpprx47O4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 11, 2025
HOWEVER…a team that has been floated out there with interest in acquiring a superstar this offseason is the Toronto Raptors.
With the salaries to trade for a star player on a max contract and an influx at the forward spots after trading for Brandon Ingram in February, the Raptors appear as a team ready to consolidate their talent and get back into the playoff mix; they’ve been absent from it in 4/5 last seasons.
With Jayson Tatum expected out for the season with a torn Achilles, Darius Garland out for the next 4-5 months after toe surgery, and the Knicks still looking for a head coach, the top of the Eastern Conference appears to have some opportunities for a sleeper team to rise significantly in the standings. The Raptors went 8-31 in their first 39 games but finished the season winning 22 of their last 43. Adding Durant could help the Raptors build on their strong end to last season.
With young talent and solid salaries, the Raptors have pieces that could allure the Suns and keep their core of Immanuel Quickley, Scottie Barnes, and Brandon Ingram intact. Here’s a trade that both teams can do financially and satisfy each’s needs.
Suns receive: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poetl, Gradey Dick, 2025 1st Round Pick (9th)
Raptors receive: Kevin Durant
Why the Raptors do it:
Ingram’s thin frame, long wingspan, and ability to score at three levels are why he’s been compared to Durant since he entered the league. In fact, back in 2020, he said he modeled his game off of the Slim Reaper.
Just like if he went to the Spurs and paired up with Victor Wembanyama, Durant can be a mentor to a player with a similar game to his and help a team get back into the postseason mix. Additionally, Toronto’s best player, Scottie Barnes, is more of a point-forward rather than a score-first wing, so placing Durant, alongside Ingram, can help him grow more as a playmaker.
Toronto didn’t have a single player over 30 who averaged more than 18 minutes a game for them last season. Durant would give them a veteran and champion presence they’ve lacked since trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby last year as they become a more competitive team.
With Ingram able to play the two and Durant at the three, Toronto has replacements for their absences while also consolidating their talent for better talent. The loss of Poeltl and their lottery pick is a costly loss, as the Raptors don’t have a replacement center on the roster and wouldn’t have a lottery pick to draft a big. However, with Giannis Antetokounmpo likely staying with the Milwaukee Bucks, teams will probably need to pay more to acquire Durant, as he is now the best player on the trade market, increasing Phoenix’s leverage with every team they negotiate with.
Why the Suns do it:
It’s always better to make a deal with a team not in your conference, and Toronto provides the Suns with that, multiple rotation players and a pick that can be used to kick off their retooling around Devin Booker.
Barrett, under contract for the next three seasons, gives Phoenix a scorer on the wing with length and an ability to play multiple positions. With Bradley Beal’s future as a Sun murky at best, he can replace Beal as a main complimentary scorer around Booker.
Phoenix was an inconsistent shooting team last season. Dick’s ability to stretch the floor, alongside Grayson Allen, can help Phoenix’s offense keep up against athletic, young, and fast teams like the Rockets and Timberwolves who the Suns had struggle with.
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.
Rumors are flying all over the place and the draft is approaching, but if reports are true that Giannis is staying in Milwaukee, is a deal like this on the table for the Suns? If so, would you do it? Why or why not? Let us know.
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