The firing of coach Mike Budenholzer marks the first bit of action in what should be an eventful summer for the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Suns are expected to work with Kevin Durant on a trade this summer.
“Multiple teams will seriously pursue Durant, who finished another stellar season, and the franchise is expected to work with Durant and his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer.”
Teams like the Heat, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, and others, have been mentioned as potential suitors.
Heat president Pat Riley is always chasing his next star, and Durant would be a significant upgrade after a disappointing season in which they were forced to trade Jimmy Butler and ended the regular season with the 21st-ranked offense.
Even at 36, Durant is still one of the league’s top scorers. He ranked seventh in the NBA in points (26.6 per game) on 52.7% shooting and was having an All-NBA caliber season before an ankle injury sidelined him for the end of the season.
Over at Bleacher Report, they came up with a trade package headlined by Andrew Wiggins and draft compensation.
Potential Heat trade package for Durant
Miami gets: Kevin Durant
Phoenix gets: Wiggins, Duncan Robinson, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2031 first-round pick.
This is more than connecting dots between a star and a franchise that is frequently in the star business. After the Butler trade, the Heat have a ready-made package that can help the Suns jumpstart a soft rebuild.
Phoenix should prioritize financial flexibility and restocking draft assets, and the Heat can give them both.
Robinson’s contract for next season is guaranteed for only $9.9 million, while Wiggins could either fill in as a two-way player in Phoenix or be rerouted for a shorter-term contract. The Suns would also get multiple first-round picks.
Alternatively, the Heat could pitch a package that replaces Wiggins with Terry Rozier (whose contract will be expiring) and either an additional draft pick or young player like Jaime Jaquez Jr. or Nikola Jovic.
In Miami, Durant would get the two things he was missing in Phoenix: Stability and culture. He would join Bam Adebayo (with whom he’s won a Gold medal), Tyler Herro and Erik Spoelstra on a team that nobody in the East would want to face.