NBA Trade Rumors: Suns turned down $109,000,002 former champion and first-round pick for Kevin Durant 

NBA: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns - Source: Imagn
NBA Trade Rumors: Suns turned down $109,000,002 former champion and first-round pick for Kevin Durant (Image Source: Imagn)

The Phoenix Suns had multiple offers for Kevin Durant before trading him to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick and five second-round picks. The Miami Heat were among the teams with mutual interest in Durant. The Eastern Conference heavyweights also proposed a lucrative trade for the 15-time NBA All-Star.

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However, the Suns declined it. Heat insider Barry Jackson reported the details of that trade package on Friday after Miami moved Haywood Highsmith to the Nets for a second-round pick. Jackson wrote on X:

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The trade was centered around former NBA champion Andrew Wiggins, who has two years left on his $109,000,002 contract. While the Suns wanted him included either way, the stumbling block was Phoenix's demand for Nikola Jovic and a pick swap.

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The Suns wanted to add younger pieces in any deal for Kevin Durant and retool the roster around Devin Booker. It worked out with 23-year-old Jalen Green and 18-year-old Khaman Maluach. Meanwhile, the Suns also traded for 23-year-old Mark Williams in a separate deal, confirming their roster-building strategy.

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Suns owner Mat Ishbia wants to do things his own way after Kevin Durant trade

Mat Ishbia's first two years as the Phoenix Suns' owner haven't gone as planned. He's been ambitious, to say the least. He didn't flinch when trading for Kevin Durant in 2023 to make a statement, moving on from key role pieces like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson.

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The next offseason, he acquired Bradley Beal, mortgaging the Suns' future to build a win-now situation. However, none of the moves were ideal, as Phoenix lost in the first round in 2024 and failed to make the playoffs last year. Ishbia's involvement and judgment have been questioned, but the $8.6 billion man is unfazed by the noise surrounding his decision-making.

On Friday, Ishbia maintained that he will be influential in the Suns and the Mercury's roster decisions. He said on Thursday on the Southwest Bias show:

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"If people don’t want me involved they’re not gonna want to cheer for the Suns or Mercury because now I’m involved. … I’m gonna do it the way I believe"

The Suns have adopted a new approach after Mat Ishbia's flashy choices in his first two seasons. They are building a young core and a well-balanced team to support franchise centerpiece Devin Booker.

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Edited by Arhaan Raje
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