Suns get a fresh start without blowing it up in this three-team 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.
Messing around with the trade machine is like tinkering in a garage. You know you’re not building a Ferrari, but that doesn’t stop you from welding together a monster and revving the engine just to see what happens. Sure, I’ve taken my jabs at it in the past, mostly because of the nonsense it sometimes churns out; trades so lopsided they’d make Sam Presti blush. But deep down, we all know it’s not about realism. It’s about possibility.
In the off-season, when the games stop but the speculation doesn’t, the trade machine becomes a playground for the basketball-imagining mind. It scratches that creative itch. It lets fans be GMs, armchair architects, or mad scientists. You’re not just pushing contracts around—you’re building futures. You’re writing alternate histories for the team you love.
So that brings us to the latest creation. Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t know how viable this one is. It probably needs draft picks, though I’m undecided on who gives them and how many. Utah’s the recipient, that much I know. But before we get into the value gymnastics, let’s just look at the bones of it. Let’s start with the trade itself.
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
We know why the Clippers would do this. Harden and Durant, reunited in Los Angeles. Can you imagine? Trying to give The Wall at the Intuit Dome something to explode about with another Big Three. That’s the thesis. That’s the sell. It’s bold. It’s big. And it drags the Utah Jazz into the equation.
Now, why Utah? Lauri Markkanen is owed $46.3 million next season and locked up for four more. But if we know anything about Danny Ainge, it’s that he covets draft capital like a dragon hoards gold. And honestly, do you build your franchise around Markkanen? He’s talented, sure. But franchise-altering? Debatable. So if the Jazz can flip him for Norman Powell, Derrick Jones Jr., and Grayson Allen, plus picks? That’s a win that covers both short-term competitiveness and long-term flexibility.
Yes, I’m trying to will this one into existence. But the path is there.
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?
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