As if the last day of the NBA season couldn’t be more exciting.
With a Game 7 in the NBA Finals looming, the Houston Rockets asked the basketball world to hold their beer, as they pulled off a trade for iconic superstar Kevin Durant.
The organization relinquished Jalen Green, veteran Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall selection in next week’s NBA Draft and five second-round picks, which seems like a fitting package considering Durant’s advanced age even though he still produces at an All-NBA level.
Now what for the Suns?
Phoenix now sports a roster that features three players best suited to play shooting guard — Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Green — which begs the question: Are they planning to pivot off Green and send him to another team?
The Suns can’t exactly brag about having roster symmetry, so the next few weeks will be interesting to track, as logic dictates the organization is far from done from making moves.
Adding the 10th overall selection is a big get. There is considerable talent in that area of this year’s draft, which allows the Suns to think long term. And as we know, loads of second-round picks have increasing value nowadays for teams seeking flexibility.
What does this mean for Houston?
The Rockets have long dreamed of adding a star-level talent and have now found one in Durant, who averaged 26.6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists for a Suns team that failed to even make the play-in tournament.
Of course, questions remain about the long term, as the presence of Durant severely shrinks the team’s competitive window in terms of being a potential championship contender. The future Hall Of Famer will turn 37 this season, and if he retires in two years, Houston will unquestionably have to re-evaluate and re-initiate its roster construction.
The good news for Houston, however, is that it didn’t relinquish any of its best stuff.
Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are still there, as are Cam Whitmore and Jabari Smith Jr., meaning the Rockets do have a foundation to build off when the day comes that Durant ages out.
Overall, this was a sensible deal for both sides. The Rockets got what they wanted without overpaying, and the Suns got significantly younger.
This appears, initially, to be a win-win for both sides.
