The Phoenix Suns have begun this offseason by making moves, although what they have done to this point has been puzzling. Canning head coach Mike Budenholzer needed to be done and moving quickly to axe him was a great way to move past their horror 36 win season, but what came next was out of left-field.
The organization deciding that Brian Gregory should be their new General Manager, in a move that could see the Suns fleeced by opponents before they know it. Not only do the team have an unproven GM now in control - with more shuffling among their front office likely on the horizon - but it makes any Kevin Durant trade an even more delicate proposition.
Their most likely trade partner is distancing themselves from a deal.
It's not like the Suns can get bad value on a 36-year-old in Durant with the injury history that he possesses, plus the fact 2025-26 will be the last year of his current deal. But they do need to get something of value back for him, so that they can pair whatever young talent and picks come to The Valley alongside Devin Booker.
For the last number of months - including around the trade deadline when Durant was reportedly made available - the thinking was that the Houston Rockets were the most likely suitors. They have both the young players and picks - which include many of the Suns' own first rounders from a previous deal with the Brooklyn Nets - to go and get Durant.
As the playoffs painfully exposed, the Rockets are also lacking in a late-game closer and offensive weapon they can dump the ball to when the going gets tough. Amen Thompson is going to be a star, but he's not ready yet. Alperen Sengun flailed around the paint and failed to dominate Brandin Podziemski when matched up with him. The less said about Jalen Green, the better.
According to @JakeLFischer, the Suns' interest in a Kevin Durant trade to the Rockets might be one-sided pic.twitter.com/Erztkh9uY1
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) May 5, 2025
But with the Rockets barely 24 hours removed from the postseason, Jake Fischer took to The Stein Line substack to reveal that the Rocket's interest in Durant - which was less than people thought back at the deadline - had cooled even more prior to the playoffs getting underway.
They just took the Golden State Warriors to seven games, and much like the Oklahoma City Thunder before them have an abundance of directions they can take the team. Tying it to Durant - despite his links to Royal Ivey and Ime Udoka - is a risk that the Suns themselves are all too familiar with. Did they look a Durant away from winning it all? Hard to say, but the more likely answer is no.
Fischer did also go on to point out that Booker is actually the player the Rockets should be targeting, given he fits the age profile for that team better. While owner Mat Ishbia has remained bullish on Booker remaining in Phoenix - and an apparent willingness on his end to sign a contract extension - the wording used to describe his desire to stick around was a little worrying.
Another new twist in this story is the potential availability of Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason. The Rockets would surely love to add him to their ranks, with Durant being pushed down to the tier of consolation prize for any team that fails to land "The Greek Freak" should his tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks come to an end. Watch this space.