Phoenix Suns Power Forward Kevin Durant held all the cards Wednesday night. He changed the trajectory of the NBA season in the process. According to ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, the Suns were set to ship KD to the Golden State Warriors which would have led to Jimmy Butler coming to Phoenix and Andrew Wiggins being shipped to the Miami Heat. This league-altering trade fell through when Durant made it clear he had no interest in returning to the Golden State Warriors.
Once the Suns forward told the team that Golden State was off the table, the Phoenix Suns and the Miami Heat began discussions on a 1-for-1 trade of Durant for Butler. That never came to fruition since Miami wanted a better return from Butler than merely Durant. With Phoenix out of the picture, the Heat and Warriors pulled off a blockbuster trade last night that sent Butler to the “Bay Area” and Wiggins to Miami. Will Durant’s decision end up being the right one?
Phoenix and Durant Look To Reset
There was a trade "sort of in place" that would’ve sent KD to Golden State, Jimmy to Phoenix, and Andrew Wiggins to Miami, per @WindhorstESPN
KD shut it down after making it known he didn't want to return to GS pic.twitter.com/W9NEua16Oh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 6, 2025
The Phoenix Suns are in a rough spot post-NBA Trade Deadline. They tried to trade away a star player when he had not asked out. There have been multiple reports saying the morale of the Phoenix team is not good as so much uncertainty surrounds its roster. Phoenix decided to shop Durant because he was the only marquee player the rest of the league was interested in. The team is also in a terrible salary cap situation. Bradley Beal has been in trade discussions since he came to Phoenix, but his contract was not viewed as a tradeable one.
Phoenix’s marquee deadline move was trading away Center Jusuf Nurkic and a 2026 first-round pick to the Charlotte Hornets for Cody Martin, Vasilije Micic, and a 2026 second-round pick. The Suns looked for a massive roster overhaul at the deadline, and this move will not qualify as that. Durant remains in Phoenix with a roster that looked much the same as it did a few days ago. Unfortunately, the team may have alienated its second-best player over the last week.
Final Thoughts
The NBA Trade Deadline has been a nightmare for the Phoenix Suns. They could not clean up their cap sheet and may have alienated a player who can be fickle. Durant, while one of the best players in NBA history, has been described as temperamental throughout his career. He was reportedly “blindsided” by the trade reports and will remain in Arizona for a mediocre Suns team. The final 30+ regular season games can get messy for Durant and the Phoenix Suns.
