The Phoenix Suns are on the verge of finally moving on from Kevin Durant, and once they do this they will be able to get on with the rest of their offseason. The bigger the haul the better, although there are doubts the organization can replicate what the Memphis Grizzlies recently achieved in getting four first round picks plus a swap from the Orlando Magic for Desmond Bane.
Jake Fischer took to his column on The Stein Line's substack Monday, and he brought with him some new information on the upcoming Durant deal. The L.A. Clippers and Toronto Raptors aren't giving up without a fight, although we know at this point that Durant himself has ruled out heading to the Minnesota Timberwolves to team up with Anthony Edwards and company.
Suns keeping tabs on Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics.
As part of Fischer's update on the Suns' plans for the summer, and to the surprise of nobody they are on the lookout for a starting calibre big man. A necessity they have sorely lacked since trading away Deandre Ayton, crucial as he was to their run to the 2021 NBA Finals. The franchise could draft a center in the upcoming draft, but that's not all they've looked at doing.
Incredibly they've checked out the possibility of somehow adding Kristaps Porzingis of the Boston Celtics to the mix out in The Valley, in what would be an absolute disaster for them if they did make this happen. From the perspective of the Celtics - with Jayson Tatum out for essentially all of next season with a torn achilles - they're surely open to having a conversation about it.
But even if the Suns could make the money work - and trading Durant elsewhere would be a big help - Porzingis is about the worst option they could choose to have here. Not because he's not talented - offensively he's fantastic and would immediately take the Suns up a notch - but because he's no longer durable and also excels in Boston because of the defensive-minded teammates around him.
#otd last year: the Kristaps Porzingis Game in the NBA finals ☘️ pic.twitter.com/4bxuXKRD4a
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) June 6, 2025
As it was the Latvian missed parts of this season with a "mystery illness", and he wasn't close to being the impact big we saw during their championship run of last season. What the Suns need are younger and healthier guys who can take the grind of a regular season, and only miss 10-15 games as they go. The most amount of games Porzingis has managed in a season? His rookie year, at 72 appearances.
With Bradley Beal another veteran whose days of playing every night are long gone, this would be a gamble on the wrong kind of big man. As it was the Suns allowed a ghastly 117.7 points per night last season, with only three teams giving up more. Porzingis would solve some of those problems - but if he plays 60 games throughout the season - how much help is that really?
There is also talk from Fischer that the Suns would love to get involved in some Myles Turner action as he enters free agency. That's never going to happen, he is as likely to stay with the Indiana Pacers as he is get a massive bag the Suns can't match from a rival like the Brooklyn Nets. Pivoting out of the Durant era and right into the Porzingis one would be a decade-ruining tragedy.