Relative to expectations, it’s fair to say the Phoenix Suns had a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. A team that featured two legitimate superstars in Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in addition to Bradley Beal was only good enough to earn the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and was promptly swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
(Although in fairness, given the way the Wolves dominated the defending champion Denver Nuggets in the first two games of the next round, maybe that sweep isn’t as embarrassing as it seemed at the time.)
There are bound to be some changes in the Suns organization this offseason. Frank Vogel is already out as head coach and has been replaced by Mike Budenholzer. The next significant question is what General Manager James Jones decides to do with the roster, if anything.
Team Owner Mat Ishbia will blow past the second luxury tax apron to keep this team together, and other than role players Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen, Phoenix’s roster will consist mostly of minimum-salary ring-chasing veterans or youth.
That leads to the million-dollar question: Do the Suns make any moves involving Durant or Booker? The rumors will swirl all summer, the latest of which comes from an unexpected source who claims he’s close to KD and has been confided in by the 10-time All-NBA forward.
Kevin Durant reportedly holds interest in joining the Miami Heat ‘if it made sense’
Every offseason it seems like the Miami Heat is doing its best to add another star, which pours lighter fluid on any NBA trade speculation. Last year, it was Damian Lillard. This year, rumors surround Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.
There’s even a scuttlebutt around Jimmy Butler being dealt away from Miami.
Now, we can reportedly add Durant to the list, according to former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco Johnson, who apparently knows these things, per AZCentral.
I talked to KD and I know KD is going to see this and KD can attest to this. … Listen, I’m not into basketball and people like KD and LeBron and some of these other players that I know, they confide in me.
And (Durant) said he would have no problem coming down to Miami, if it made sense.
The potential of adding the 14-time All-Star, who remains one of the best scorers in the NBA at age 35, to the famed Heat Culture is enticing. But the qualifier at the end of Johnson’s statement is important: “If it made sense.”
That’s up to the Suns, Durant and Miami to decide, but this type of deal would certainly start the offseason with a bang.
Thank you for reading The Dunk Central. Please follow us on Twitter for the latest news and insights on your favorite teams and players. It’s due to your support that we can become one of the market’s fastest-growing NBA outlets!
