As a Suns fan, this Kevin Durant trade feels like the end of an era and the beginning of something… uncertain. Trading KD to the Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the number ten pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-rounders isn’t nothing, but it’s not exactly the kind of blockbuster return you dream of when parting ways with a future Hall of Famer. Durant was still putting up over twenty-six points per game and shooting like a machine. But with the team underperforming and cap space tightening, maybe this was the only path forward. 
Still, there’s a lot of mixed emotion in the fanbase. Jalen Green is exciting, sure, he’s young, athletic, and has shown flashes of elite scoring, but he’s also another undersized guard on a roster that’s already guard-heavy. Devin Booker and Bradley Beal aren’t going anywhere, and now we’ve added two more perimeter players in Green and Brooks. It’s starting to feel like the team is playing musical chairs with 6'5" scorers, when what we really need is size. The absence of a legitimate big man, someone who can either start at center or give us productive bench minutes at the four or five, has been glaring.
That said, the front office seems to have heard those concerns. In the days following the Durant deal, Phoenix acquired center Mark Williams from the Hornets, a 7-footer with rim protection and upside, and used the No. 10 pick to draft Khaman Maluach, the towering center from Duke who brings elite athleticism and raw potential. Adding two young bigs in one week dramatically reshapes the frontcourt and signals a clear shift toward building interior depth. It’s a promising move, and it changes the narrative. Suddenly, the roster has size, and the future looks less lopsided.
Of course, challenges remain. Beal’s massive contract, over $50 million a year for the next several seasons, and his no-trade clause make it nearly impossible to move him or restructure the roster around him. That limits flexibility in a big way. And while Green is a talented scorer, a lot of fans are still speculating that he isn’t actually part of the long-term plan. There’s buzz that Phoenix may flip him for another forward or more experienced big man, potentially someone who can stabilize the rotation immediately rather than two or three years down the road. That wouldn’t be shocking. His trade value is still relatively high, especially with his age and production.
Let’s be honest, this team isn’t in rebuild mode; they’re in reset mode. If they can use Green to pull in a versatile frontcourt piece, someone to pair with Williams or Maluach, or even provide a veteran presence off the bench, the roster could suddenly make a lot more sense.
Dillon Brooks at least brings defensive toughness, something we’ve sorely lacked since Mikal Bridges left. He’ll irritate opponents and probably fans too, but he’s a proven wing defender with playoff experience. Still, unless the Suns fully stabilize their frontcourt and figure out how to manage their guard-heavy mix, this trade will feel like an incomplete puzzle. It’s possible this is just step one of a bigger offseason plan, and if that's the case, we’ll have to wait and see what move comes next. One thing’s for sure: this new Suns era is already off to a wild start.
