Suns should avoid young explosive scorer at all costs in any Kevin Durant trade

With the NBA world engrossed in the opening round of the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns have already entered what is going to be a long and busy offseason. Head coach Mike Budenholzer was immediately shown the door, with owner Mat Ishbia following that up with a media tour in which he told anybody who would listen that the Suns are going to win championships. Plural.

To be fair to Ishbia, he also took a lot of the blame for what went wrong for the organization. Winning 36 games when you have both Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on your team is unacceptable, and for that reason change is also going to come to the roster. Durant looking the most likely to move on, and he was reportedly made available at the trade deadline by the Suns this season.

Suns need to steer clear of Jalen Green in any potential trade.

One of the more likely suitors in any Durant deal are the Houston Rockets, and with good reason. Not only do they have ample young players to offer up in any deal, they're also in command of future Suns' first round picks - including this year's lottery bound selection - that they can give back to The Valley in exchange for Durant.

Adding further intrigue to the Rockets as the next destination for Durant, they are currently locked in a playoff series with the Golden State Warriors. One which has already exposed their painful lack of a closer - it is their most glaring need - and which Durant would address immediately if they could trade for him. Make no mistake, how far the Rockets go will dictate if they decide to pounce for Durant.

Jalen Green would surely be one of the main players heading to Phoenix in return, but the Suns should want no part of that. The 23-year-old has all the makings of an explosive scorer who can get hot in a hurry, only so far the Warriors have exposed just how far away from being the first option when it really matters Green actually is.

Averaging 21 points this season and starting and playing in every regular season contest the last two is not to be sniffed at, and the Suns could use that sort of consistency. But doing it in the postseason is a different animal, and right now Green looks more like a J.R. Smith or even Nick Young type offensively than he does a legitimate number one option.

Contrast that to Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic, who is getting no help at all from his teammates in their series versus the Boston Celtics. Yet no matter the matchup he is taking what the Celtics give him, Banchero found ways to score en route to 36 points in a Game 1 loss. If Green was in his position, there is not a hope he would be able to replicate what Banchero is doing.

That might be unfair on Green - the Magic wouldn't give up Banchero for Durant - but the Suns do need to get a player or two of real value back in order to give up the 36-year-old. Picks are a great start - and it's not like Alperen Sengun or even Tari Eason are going to be part of the package - but Green isn't it.

The fit next to Booker is bad - and when you include Bradley Beal it's even worse - which is yet another reason not to want Green in any potential deal. Like it or not, the franchise have to plan for the future with Beal in mind.