Unless the Phoenix Suns are able to pull off a lopsided deal, they have three routes to acquire an all-league talent.
They can trade Devin Booker, their all-time scoring leader.
They could trade Kevin Durant, their best player.
Or, they could trade Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star.
The Reason Suns Are Open To Kevin Durant Offers
Because Booker has been with the Suns for his entire career and has been outright dominant for most of it, he’s an unlikely trade candidate. Of course, his current status doesn’t ensure his future is secured. After all, the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic and the Minnesota Timberwolves traded Karl-Anthony Towns in just under a year. However, teams don’t typically ship off the face of their franchise without there being a falling out or official request.
In that same vein, it’s unusual for an organization to trade their top talent.
In most cases, the face of the franchise is their top player. Nonetheless, as evidenced by the Suns, that’s clearly not always true. In any case, it’s not beyond the pale for a team to move their No. 1 player. For example, although he was widely regarded as their best player, the Chicago Bulls traded Zach LaVine to the Sacramento Kings last weekend. Durant is much more accomplished than LaVine but it doesn’t make him untouchable.
All of that being said, if Phoenix had to make a choice, they would likely trade Beal. The 31-year-old is a multi-time All-Star. However, not only is he getting a little long in the tooth, he was never really a strong fit alongside Booker and Durant. More than anything, he seemed to be a player the Suns acquired because he was closer to his prime than Chris Paul, who Phoenix moved to acquire him. Yet, it was always obvious that there would be too many cooks in the kitchen.
Family Matters
The problem for the Suns is that Beal has that pesky no-trade clause. He may be willing to waive it. However, he’s so reluctant to uproot his family that it seems improbable.
“The unrelenting word continues to be that Beal has no desire to bless a trade pretty much anywhere and prefers to remain in Phoenix, where his family has been settling after finally leaving the nation’s capital,” reports The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer.
Honestly, there are worse things than moving to a new state. Nonetheless, unless Phoenix’s front office or someone in Beal’s circle can convince him of that, the Suns might be forced to move Booker or Durant in their efforts to reconfigure their roster instead of him. In fact, Phoenix is already listening to trade offers for Durant, per SI’s Chris Mannix.
The Warriors are indeed serious about reuniting with Kevin Durant, sources told SI. And with efforts to acquire Jimmy Butler stalled rival execs believe the Suns are strongly considering Durant deals before the deadline.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 4, 2025
It might not be such a bad thing since the future Hall of Famer has more trade value than Beal. In fact, the Golden State Warriors are among the teams that would jump at the chance to acquire him. By comparison, there aren’t any teams that are overly enthused about the prospect of adding Beal. Still, it’s quite the conundrum for the Suns, who are starting to feel the heat in what’s been another underwhelming season.
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