The Phoenix Suns have shed light on their decision to trade Kevin Durant as part of the largest deal in NBA history.
Speaking to Keith Smith of Spotrac, a Suns front office executive said the franchise had to pivot after its original plan faltered. “We had a plan. It didn’t work. That meant resetting. We think that given the challenges we had, we did well to reset in the way we did,” the executive said.
The Suns sent Durant to the Houston Rockets in a seven-team blockbuster that also included the Nets, Warriors, Hawks, Lakers, and Timberwolves. Phoenix received Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach, and several young players and draft picks in return.
“When it became clear that was a direction we could do, we set a goal of not just going with a package of all young players and picks,” the Suns executive told Smith. “We want to compete. We feel like getting Dillon and Jalen, along with Khaman in that deal gives us a great balance of veterans, mid-career players and a young big man to help us get after it right away.”
The Suns also gained Rasheer Fleming, Koby Brea, Daeqwon Plowden, and a second-round pick. This influx of talent comes after Phoenix missed the playoffs last season with a 36–46 record, signaling a move toward reshaping the roster rather than a full rebuild.
On the team’s current lineup, the executive noted there is still work to do. “We’ve got some overlap, but it’s not in bad areas,” they said. “We’ve got a bunch of centers who are going to push each other every single day. We’ve got guards and wings who will do the same.”
Despite trading away Durant, Phoenix remains committed to keeping Devin Booker as the face of the franchise. “That’s our guy. He wants to be a forever Sun. We want that too. We’re well on our way to making it happen,” the executive said.
