The teams that are out of the playoffs or did not even qualify for them are already working hard in the offices in planning for next season. This is the case for Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs, who missed out on the playoffs and want to put all the means at their disposal to ensure that this is not repeated next season.
Those two franchises are the protagonists of a rumor that had already emerged months ago in the media specializing in basketball in the United States and has now emerged with even more force. A major operation that could change the landscape of the Western Conference and even the NBA if it comes to fruition.
It would be a mega trade that would unite one of the best players in the league, Kevin Durant, with the young man who is set to dominate the NBA in the coming years, Victor Wembanyama, who played only 46 games this season after suffering a venous thrombosis in February. It is a complicated but feasible operation according to the prestigious US website Fadeawayworld.net, which suggests that the Phoenix Suns star could end up with the San Antonio Spurs alongside the French giant.
A possible three-way deal
A compelling trade proposal, according to the outlet, in a hypothetical three-way deal between the Spurs, Suns and Nets in which Durant would end up with the San Antonio Spurs, where he would reunite with Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, signed in the last February market, to form a new dominant and fearsome ‘Big Three’ in the Western Conference.
The Suns would get Nic Claxton (Nets), Keldon Johnson (Spurs), a 2025 first-round pick (ATL), and a 2027 first-round pick (ATL). While the Nets would receive Devin Vassell and a 2029 first-round draft pick.
Spurs’ exponential growth with ‘Durantula’
It would be a deal in which all three franchises would theoretically benefit. It would mean exponential growth for the Spurs’ game, where Durant would bring leadership, experience and great scoring ability. His efficiency, with 26.6 points per game on 52.7% shooting, would complement Wembanyama’s inside presence (24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game) and De’Aaron Fox’s playmaking ability (23.5 points and 6.3 assists per game).
For the Nets, the acquisition of Vassell and a pick swap would fit well with their strategy of accumulating young talent and draft capital. While the Suns would gain flexibility to restructure their team (Durant is the fourth highest paid player in the NBA after earning $51.1 million this year and next season would earn $54.7 million) with a younger core, which would set a new course for the franchise.
Possible restructuring at the Suns
At 36 years of age, Durant is still an elite scorer, but the disastrous season for the Suns, who slumped at the end of the regular season to miss out on the playoffs, has sparked debate within the Phoenix franchise about restructuring their roster and possibly dispensing with their star player and having the team revolve around Devin Booker with a solid foundation.
Basketball fans, and Spurs fans in particular, are licking their lips at the prospect of seeing Kevin Durant and French giant Victor Wembanyama (2.24m tall and 2.44m wingspan) together. The two players were even compared for their physique and versatility when the French ‘alien’, who confessed to Durant that he was his role model as a player, landed with the Spurs in 2023, turning the NBA upside down with his incredible skills.
“I don’t see anyone like Wemby in the NBA. I know we’re both tall and skinny… but he’s going to carve his own path, he’s unique
A comparison that even Durant himself spoke about at the time: “I’m sure from what he told me, he looked up to me growing up, but he’s a unique player,” said the Suns star. “I don’t see anyone like Wemby in the NBA. I know we’re both tall and skinny, I know he’s seen me play a lot when he was younger, but he also saw a lot of other players that he was inspired by.”
“He’s going to create his own history, you can try to compare, but he’s going to be different to anyone else,” Durant said. “You can see it in his enthusiasm for the game. You can see it watching him on television and also playing against him. He’s very different to any other player we’ve seen before. You try to make comparisons, but he’s going to go his own way, he’s unique.”
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