How the Suns can save the Kevin Durant trade after a disastrous early playoff exit
The Phoenix Suns’ commerce for Kevin Durant seems to be like a bust proper now. There’s no different takeaway after the Suns had been eradicated from the 2023 NBA Playoffs within the second spherical by shedding to the Denver Nuggets in six video games. Phoenix went out unhappy, falling 125-100 in Recreation 6 in what was a rout from the opening tip. The Suns began Jock Landale, Cam Payne, and Landry Shamet in a do-or-die playoff recreation, so the end result shouldn’t be too shocking.
The Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, 4 unprotected first-round picks, and a 2028 choose swap to Brooklyn for Durant on the commerce deadline. Durant will flip 35 years outdated within the offseason. Chris Paul turned 38 years outdated throughout the sequence towards the Nuggets, and missed the final 4 video games of the sequence with a groin pressure. The Suns are dealing with large strain to show this right into a championship staff instantly. The roster wants a whole lot of upgrades, and the staff doesn’t have any draft picks to commerce to get them.
There aren’t any straightforward solutions for methods to save the Suns this summer time, however within the aftermath of a disappointing playoff exit, there are a number of massive image pivots they need to take note.
The Suns want their KCP commerce and Bruce Brown signing
The NBA by no means acquired to see how good the Nuggets had been earlier than this season as a result of Jamal Murray missed the final two playoff runs whereas he recovered from a torn ACL. However even with their second finest participant set to return forward of this season, Denver nonetheless made some daring strikes to improve the roster. The primary was to commerce long-time position gamers Will Barton and Monte Morris to Washington for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The subsequent was signing guard Bruce Brown away from the Nets on a two-year, $13 million deal.
Including KCP and Brown gave the Nuggets two extra robust perimeter defenders who might add worth on offense as ground spacers and cutters. Phoenix wants gamers with related talent units round Durant and Devin Booker.
The Suns ended the playoffs with a 118.3 defensive score that will have ranked No. 28 within the league throughout the common season. The offense scored at close to top-five effectivity within the playoffs regardless of solely trying 25.8 threes per recreation, dead-last by a large margin of any playoff staff.
That is simpler stated than executed, in fact. Free brokers like Yuta Watanabe and Georges Niang might present the capturing, however not the protection. Dillon Brooks might present the protection, however not the capturing. Both means, the Suns clearly must improve the position gamers round their famous person pairing after they simply witnessed Denver basically ignore everybody else on the ground not named Durant and Booker.
It’s time to commerce Chris Paul
The Suns missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons earlier than they acquired Chris Paul in a commerce with the Thunder. Since then, Phoenix went to the NBA Finals, and made two second spherical appearances. It gained’t be a straightforward resolution to commerce Paul, but it surely looks like the most suitable choice to assist the staff reload round Durant and Booker. Paul simply can’t be counted on to complete a playoff run at this level in his profession — his harm on this postseason isn’t an outlier, it’s a development.
Paul has two years and $60.8 million left on his contract, however subsequent season is simply partially assured at $15.8 million, and the next season is absolutely unguaranteed. His massive wage quantity would give Phoenix a means of matching contracts to accumulate a number of gamers, and the staff on the opposite finish might simply minimize him after subsequent 12 months to open up cap house.
Does any staff need 38-year-old Chris Paul? There isn’t an apparent suitor for CP3 in the mean time, however the flexibility his contract affords may very well be interesting to a staff in the precise bundle.
Kevin Durant must regain high type
This one is simple. The Suns didn’t get the very best model of Kevin Durant within the playoffs this 12 months, not even shut. Listed here are Durant’s closing numbers for the sequence towards Denver: 29.5 factors, 9.7 rebounds, and 5 assists per recreation on 45.4 p.c capturing from the sphere and 22.2 p.c capturing from three-point vary. The per-game numbers had been nice, however the effectivity wasn’t.
Durant regarded like the very best participant on this planet two years in the past within the playoffs towards the Bucks. Since then, he’s been slowed down considerably in playoff exits towards the Celtics (who swept his Nets in 2022) and now the Nuggets.
A shift in Durant’s shot profile could be the simplest change. Durant took 68 p.c of his pictures from mid-range throughout the playoffs, in keeping with Cleansing the Glass. Durant made a formidable 47 p.c of these mid-range makes an attempt, however the Suns want him to take extra threes, extra rim makes an attempt, and extra free throws to essentially maximize his scoring punch.
On the season, between stops in Brooklyn and Phoenix, Durant averaged 4.9 three-point makes an attempt per recreation, whereas hitting 40.4 p.c of these pictures. He took 4.6 threes per recreation within the playoffs. Durant might legitimately stand to double his three-point makes an attempt. Durant ranked No. 86 in three-point makes an attempt per recreation this season. 4 gamers took double-figure makes an attempt per recreation. Sure, KD is a good mid-range shooter, however he’s additionally the most effective three-point shooters in league historical past. He must shoot extra threes.
The Suns must get sooner
Phoenix ranked useless final in quick break factors throughout the common season, scoring solely 10.5 per recreation. The Suns had been way more potent scoring in transition throughout the playoffs, and sometimes occasions Phoenix checked out its finest after they had been working.
Sure, it’s laborious to run with a 38-year-old level guard. Phoenix clearly must get some extra zip in its offense whether or not CP3 is on the staff or not subsequent 12 months.
It’s straightforward to determine the Suns’ issues. It’s more durable to seek out the options
The Suns had been all the time in championship-or-bust mode after buying and selling Bridges and so many draft picks for Durant. The strain is admittedly going to be on this offseason. The Durant-Booker duo is fantastic, however Phoenix must reload the roster round them.
There shall be straightforward traps to fall into. You’ll be able to wager a rumored Deandre Ayton for Kyrie Irving deal shall be talked about this summer time. How a lot would that really assist Phoenix? Transferring Ayton ought to actually be on the desk for Phoenix after a disappointing offensive sequence, however his protection towards Nikola Jokic was promising for a lot of the sequence. Irving would in fact come along with his personal pitfalls.
Ought to Phoenix fireplace Monty Williams? There’s a case to be made {that a} completely different coach might get a greater model of Ayton to return alive — the coach and heart have had an icy relationship relationship again to final season — however Durant and Booker seem to love Williams, and there’s actually no assure they are going to discover a higher coach in the event that they fireplace him.
I used to be a proponent of the Suns buying and selling for Durant within the offseason. I nonetheless appreciated the transfer after they did it on the deadline. Effectively, there’s a cause I’m making blogger cash and never NBA GM cash, as a result of proper now it feels just like the KD deal might go down as a catastrophe for Phoenix. It’s on Phoenix’s new possession (which pushed laborious for the deal to undergo) and entrance workplace to determine a option to salvage it.
Touchdown stars is the laborious a part of NBA staff constructing, and the Suns emptied all the pieces they must get one in Durant. On this period of the NBA, although, it positive looks like depth is sort of as necessary as the first choices. Phoenix had means, means too many holes in its eight-man rotation that it couldn’t fill in-season after the KD commerce. They higher do it offseason, or their title window might shut faster than anybody thought potential.
