With the Phoenix Suns heavily linked with him, this off-season may seem like ‘Kevin Durant or bust’. However, the Suns can improve their team from a season ago with some less-enticing but useful non-Durant trade targets.
After a season filled with highs including a franchise-record 64 wins, the Phoenix Suns ended their 2021/22 season with an extremely disappointing game seven loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Conference Semifinals.
Following the season, the biggest offseason news for the Suns came a few hours before free agency began. Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, with the Suns one of his preferred destinations (along with the heat). With Durant still having four years left on his contract, making a trade for one of the best players in the league will not be easy.
Phoenix and Miami are among two of the teams that Kevin Durant has on his wish list, sources tell ESPN, but the Nets plan to move Durant where they can get the best possible deal. With four years on his contract, there's no shortage of teams willing to unload assets for Durant.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
Another major decision regarded 2018 number one overall pick DeAndre Ayton, having hit restricted free agency after failed negotiations regarding an extension last season. Reports emerged that the Suns did not want to pay Ayton the max contract. However, when the Indiana Pacers put out an offer sheet, it took only a few hours for the Suns to match the offer and keep him.
After giving their 2022 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Suns now own every single first-round pick for the foreseeable future. Combine this with various tradable and expiring contracts and the Suns can seriously consider trade opportunities to improve the roster.
One of the Suns’ biggest needs is to add slashers. The stagnation of their offense in the last two series losses (Bucks and Mavericks) can be attributed to the lack of slashers and rim pressure. In fact, the Sun’s most efficient high-volume driver in the 2021/22 regular season was 36-year-old Chris Paul.
While Devin Booker is undoubtedly a good slasher, the same cannot be said for most others on the team (despite some flashes). Some of the best Suns offense this season came when they pushed the pace and adding more quality slashers will help that become more of a staple.
Paul is not getting any younger, so taking some offensive load off him through players who can look to drive and create offense would be another area to target.
With most of the core back and Monty Williams recently extended, it’s clear that the Suns want to compete for a title with or without Durant. Here are three non-Durant trade candidates for the Phoenix Suns in the 2022 offseason.