The Phoenix Suns have hit this offseason running, and have already made big changes throughout their organization. Head coach Mike Budenholzer is long gone, and owner Mat Ishbia has already stated that they will be taking their time in finding his replacement.
Brian Gregory has also been instated as the new General Manager - and although it was a puzzling choice that does raise concerns about the direction of the franchise - it is another decision that at least was made quickly. It will now be on Gregory - alongside the front office - to begin to rebuild this roster after an awful 36 win campaign.
A new suitor has emerged for the talents of Kevin Durant.
It is unlikely that Kevin Durant will be along for the ride next season, as he is the only player the team can realistically move to try and get out of their current situation. Although the Houston Rockets may have distanced themselves from a potential deal - Devin Booker makes much more sense for them but should still be a hard no - Durant is going to have plenty of teams enquiring about him.
The reason for this is obvious, and has once again been shown in these playoffs. Few players can get a bucket like the 36-year-old future Hall of Fame player, and those talents are still badly needed when the game slows down and each contest means a lot more. Imagine what the Oklahoma City Thunder or even the Minnesota Timberwolves could do if they had Durant right now.
A new name recently entered the chat, and to the surprise of some it was the Miami Heat. Their President Pat Riley saying at his end of season press conference -
"I think if you take a look at the Warriors, with Draymond, Steph and Jimmy, you got three 35, 36, 37 guys... it's a perfect time for them. I think an ageing great, great player who may not be able to carry a team, together they can rise to the occasion in the playoffs".
That sure sounds like Riley is open to the idea of trading for Durant, and it makes sense given the roster he already has in South Beach. Pairing Durant next to Bam Adebayo would be a difficult prospect for opponents to deal with - and if they could also keep Tyler Herro alongside the duo - then all the better.
Really though this shows smarts from Riley - because despite being burnt badly by Jimmy Butler as he forced his way to the Golden State Warriors - he knows the right veteran players when put together can win big. He's clearly not put off by Durant's age or injury history, and his play in Phoenix this season absolutely backs that belief up.
From the perspective of the Suns, this is a home run. We're not even halfway through the playoffs, and already all manner of teams are talking themselves into trading for Durant. Not just those who were knocked out early and believe they're one star away from winning it all, but also franchises like the Heat who have work to do in order to put everything together.
This is driving the price of Durant's services up, and it is coming at a great time as well. The Suns need to be smart about how they re-tool around Booker, and the return for Durant will go some way to defining their next few years. The more teams that want Durant the better, and we're already off to a great start with Riley's comments.