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Although the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant a year ago, it appears that Phoenix initially had other plans. ESPN senior writer Zach Lowe said that Phoenix was eyeing a couple of Toronto Raptors who could help bring championship experience to the team: OG Anunoby or Pascal Siakam.
Lowe said on his podcast that Phoenix was eyeing either Anunoby or Siakam but that the trade talks were never serious and evaporated once KD became available.
How has the Kevin Durant era in Phoenix treated the Suns?
Kevin Durant is one of the NBA's all-time greats to play. Since his younger years with the OKC Thunder, Durant had always been the star of the show, putting his team on his back. He won his only MVP award while playing for the Thunder then moved on to win two back-to-back titles suiting up for the Golden State Warriors.
While playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Durant formed a big three with James Harden and Kyrie Irving (and then Ben Simmons for Harden) only to see it flop in the end. Fast forward to the present day, KD is once again in a trio, this time with Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
While there have been games that the Phoenix Suns' big three have displayed their true capabilities, they aren't in the position they had hoped for before the beginning of the season. Phoenix (29-21), which is sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference, doesn't have a bad record, however, considering the star power it has, one would think that it should be higher in the West.
Nevertheless, the Kevin Durant era in Phoenix isn't a disaster. Last season, the Suns made a second-round appearance in the playoffs before being knocked out by the eventual-champion Denver Nuggets.
Despite only being sixth in the West, that might change soon as KD's newfound big three is slowly finding its stride. Phoenix is 15-6 since Christmas, indicating the possibility of climbing the standings and securing a better position in the playoffs. As long as the Suns' stars play the way they have been lately, they could be one of the biggest threats this postseason.
