The NBA is still collectively recovering from the Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers trade that broke the internet, which made De'Aaron Fox getting his wish and landing on the San Antonio Spurs seem like an afterthought when that deal officially went through.
The Phoenix Suns meanwhile have remained on the sidelines throughout most of this period, with the exception of adding center Nick Richards. A move that has already paid off, but which hardly moves the needle when compared to a pair of Western Conference rivals adding top 15 players in Doncic and Fox.
The Suns could make one more move ahead of the deadline.
Jake Fischer dropped his latest in what has felt like near hourly updates across the last few days on The Stein Line's substack - and to the surprise of many - both the Suns and Kevin Durant featured heavily. That's because the Golden State Warriors - seemingly emboldened by the outrageous move the Lakers just pulled off - suddenly have interest in bringing Durant back to The Bay Area.
Fischer does also go on to say that the Warriors would ideally like to add LeBron James to the mix as well - effectively giving us the NBA version of the Team USA experience we all loved last summer - and in doing so keep Stephen Curry happy as well. Adding James looks difficult, but the path to Durant actually has a way to happening.
"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
That's because the Suns have interest in the 22-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, which would go against every move owner Mat Ishbia has approved to this point. There's no doubt Kuminga still has a ridiculous amount of upside, but it is also fair to point out that he's yet to kick on in San Francisco either.
Kuminga has long looked like a guy who needs a change of scenery, and The Valley could be just the place to kickstart his career. He's everything the Suns need right now - a ton of althleticism and the ability to make a difference on both ends of the court - although it has become clear Durant would have to go the other way in order for a trade to actually happen.
There would surely be other players and picks involved as well, but this is an interesting development so close to the deadline. The recent loss to a rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers team - and former player Deandre Ayton in particular - was yet another reminder that this version of the roster in Phoenix cannot compete for a championship.
Deandre Ayton has the 2nd best +/- in the NBA in the last 8 games, it seems like he’s really been trying and it shows
— Deni Avdija SZN 🎗️ (@avdijaszn) February 3, 2025
With Bradley Beal's no-trade clause meaning he's not going anywhere - and the Suns extremely unlikely to even entertain any Devin Booker deal - Durant has suddenly become the only way they can change their future outlook. This version of the Suns is not winning a championship, and Durant is now 36-years-old.
Turning that into a wing player who many believe has All-Star potential - and who is only six years younger than Booker - would not be the worst way to pivot from an experiment that has failed to get off the ground. This would have seemed silly to put out there a couple of days ago, but nothing is the same anymore after that stunning Doncic deal.