The Phoenix Suns selected Devin Booker as the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. The Suns saw Booker improve from averaging 13 points per game as a rookie to 27.8 points per game. However, throughout this development, Booker faced five consecutive losing seasons. During the 2020-21 season, the Suns acquired Chris Paul and reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993. The following season, Phoenix achieved a franchise-high of 64 wins but fell to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
Meanwhile, Kevin Durant was in Brooklyn, getting swept by the Boston Celtics. This experience led him to consider easier paths to winning another Championship. Subsequently, he decided to leave Brooklyn and join the Phoenix Suns. However, the challenge with this move is that Durant takes on a role similar to that of Devin Booker, the Suns’ existing star.
Since Kevin Durant joined the Suns, the team has been eliminated in the second round his first year and was swept his second year. Considering that Phoenix gave up four first-round draft picks for Durant, it’s difficult to see how the trade has benefitted them. The expectation was Durant would help them win a Championship, but today that seems far-fetched Additionally, Durant is hindering Devin Booker’s progress as a player by taking shots away from him.
If I were the Phoenix Suns, I would trade Kevin Durant to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for De’Aaron Fox and some future draft picks. This move would bring in a younger player who is averaging 25 points per game and has the ability to lead a team. Most importantly, it would help avoid the issue of having two-star players who play the same role.
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