The Western Conference got turned upside down over the weekend, with the Lakers, Mavericks, Kings, and Spurs shaking things up. Luka Doncic is LA's new star, Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are Dallas' new duo, Zach LaVine is finally in Sacramento after years of speculation, and De'Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama are going to be scary for years to come.
So, where does that leave the Phoenix Suns? Jimmy Butler is still waiting for a trade, although one might not happen. His desire to be in Phoenix is well-known, but Bradley Beal's no-trade clause complicates the matter.
Phoenix is No. 8 in the West with a 25-23 record, one game ahead of the No. 14 Warriors. The West is stacked, and the Suns are at risk of missing the Play-In Tournament altogether. Two teams behind Phoenix in the standings — No. 9 Dallas and No. 10 San Antonio — are expected to climb up the ladder.
The 11th-ranked Warriors are looking for ways to upgrade their roster around Steph Curry. On Monday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported (subscription required) that "Golden State's decision-makers" have questioned if "there is any feasible pathway for the Warriors to pull off the dreamiest of outcomes and find a way to bring both James and Durant to The Bay?"
Warriors' dream trade scenario would send KD back to Golden State
If you think Durant is entirely off-limits, he's not. The Lakers-Mavericks-Jazz trade proved that anything can happen at any time.
Fischer reported that Phoenix "does not plan to move" KD before Thursday's deadline but that the Suns "are believed to be listening at the very least to various teams' pitches..." Durant is reportedly aware of that.
Although it seems unlikely that Golden State would be able to pull off a trade for KD and LeBron, that option can't be ruled out. Acquiring Durant by himself without getting LeBron can't be ruled out, either. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Monday that the Warriors are reaching out to teams about their All-Star players.
"The Warriors are legitimately calling about every All-Star player. Just name the All-Star player. ... LeBron, players like Kevin Durant, players like Jimmy Butler."@ShamsCharania says the Warriors are dead set on adding an All-Star to pair with Steph 👀 pic.twitter.com/6p1zslQdo7
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 3, 2025
Before the weekend's seismic trade centered around Luka and AD, nobody would've guessed something like that would happen (not even in 2K). It'd seem like a dream (at least for Warriors fans) if Golden State had Durant and LeBron on its roster after the deadline. The idea can't be ignored, though. It's notable enough that someone like Fischer brought it up.
Phoenix fans can take solace in the fact that Mat Ishbia wouldn't pull a Nico Harrison and let Golden State have KD for a bag of popcorn compared to his value. It would take a lot for a Durant trade to happen, period. But never say never, right?