There continue to be signs that Kevin Durant will leave the Phoenix Suns this summer. If the front office does decide to trade him, the focus of their return package should not be on draft picks, as many are thinking. Instead, Phoenix needs another talented young player who can blossom into a true superstar alongside Devin Booker.
As we think about this, we should consider some other recent situations around the league where we've seen promising young talents traded only for their talents to be realized that much more. That's the type of situation the Suns should be seeking to replicate.
Think about what happened after Tyrese Haliburton was traded away from the Sacramento Kings. He came into his own that much more, and he now has the Indiana Pacers three wins away from an NBA championship.
Or consider what type of player Jalen Brunson looked like in Dallas before his move to New York. He had a solid foundation and a path to becoming a star player, but he grew into so much more than anyone ever envisioned once he was actually presented with that path.
The Suns need another young star - like Trey Murphy
So who could be the player Phoenix targets that has the type of untapped talent to where they could eventually transform into an All-NBA level player? There's probably a number of guys waiting for their opportunity that can reach that kind of level, but why not pursue a guy like Trey Murphy in New Orleans?
Murphy is a high-level three-and-D wing that boasts high-level shot-creation abilities and athleticism, with still a lot of room to grow his game. The Suns have a roster laden with veteran players, and the kind of youthful burst Murphy could inject into their roster would be considerable.
In a best-case scenario, Trey could grow into something far greater than he is currently in Phoenix's system. And what better place to get that increased opportunity than with the Suns, who currently don't have a lot of expectations and are looking for any real reasons for optimism going forward?
Trying to get back picks would indicate the Suns trying to go more in the direction of a reset or even a total rebuild. That's clearly not what Mat Ishbia wants to do. Kevin Durant may not carry with him the kind of unreal value he used to, but it's still high enough to get back the kind of young player that has star potential. Investing in a player like Trey Murphy and seeing him reach his full potential is the kind of development that could totally change the long-term outlook for the Phoenix Suns.