The Suns Have Set Their Initial Asking Price For Any Potential Kevin Durant Trade And It Starts With 3 First Round Picks

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As we know, it's only a matter of time before Kevin Durant is traded and joins the team that realistically he'll end his career with. Even if the Suns make some sort of run and get into the Play In and even get out of that and into the actual playoffs, it does feel like anything outside of winning the NBA title means that this current iteration of the Suns won't survive the summer.

So since this is more of a matter of "when" KD is traded as opposed to "if", the most important question becomes

"OK, so what's the price?"

It's not exactly an easy question to answer, because in the NBA, it's not a matter of how much you're "worth", but rather how much leverage the team has to operate with. Given his age, the fact that he's an expiring contract after this season, and the salary price he plays under, it's not as if the Suns have a ton of leverage in this situation. Unless there's a handshake agreement that KD would extend wherever he ends up, teams will certainly factor that in when it comes to his trade price.

You also have to do your best to remove the Luka Trade package from your brain when talking about any of this stuff for any player. That was a one-off circumstance that has some shady aspects to it. Just because Nico Harrison was a bozo and traded a generational talent for a ham sandwich does NOT mean that every awesome player can be had for 40 cents on the dollar.

On the flip side, just because the Knicks traded 6 1st round picks for a role player does not mean all the good players suddenly require 8 1st round picks. That's not exactly how it works either.

So what's the starting point for KD according to the Suns?

The Suns don’t have any control of their first-round picks from now until 2032 and they can’t currently trade their 2032 first-round selection due to being over the second apron.

Sources informed The Republic the most ideal return on a Durant trade is regaining three first-round picks and a young player as part of a multi-team deal tied to getting under the second apron.

Durant is due to make $54.7 million in the final year of his deal next season.

OK, so 3 1st round picks and a young player? Not a totally insane starting point since you can't get what you don't ask for, but my guess is in the end things get trimmed down a little bit. But for now, let's take this as the price. Which teams can even satisfy that request? Remember, this team also needs to be able to get close to KD's $54M salary. 

That means you're talking about teams like HOU/MEM/TOR/ATL/ORL/OKC etc

The Rockets could build something around FVV's expiring $44M (if they pick up his option), add some salary filler and include a young piece like Jabari Smith Jr. My guess is someone like Amen Thompson is off the table, but maybe low salary players like Tari Eason? The point is they have a combination that in theory could work.

Memphis is about to have to pay JJJ a supermax, so maybe they look to get off Ja or Bane's deal? Given the $54M salary of KD, it probably has to include someone like Brandon Clarke. In terms of a young piece, Jaylen Wells looks awesome, GG Jackson is solid etc. Given PHX wants to get under the apron, I'm not sure they'd be willing to sign on for the long term money like Bane has, but you never know.

The Raptors are a team who has a history of taking a 1 year rental risk (see: 2019 Kawhi), and shit they've paid pretty much everyone on their roster so they do have the contracts to make things work. Maybe they flip IQ or Barrett, pair it with Poeltl and a young player and there is a path. TOR feels like the type of team who will be willing to take the risk of bringing in KD at the current price, whereas others might want things lowered given his age, contract status, etc. We know Masai Ujiri doesn't give a shit about that, so I don't think you can rule the Raptors out.

OKC is an interesting case, and I'm only including them with the idea that they have an underachieving postseason run, where offense proves to be their undoing. They obviously have the picks, shit they could probably double that amount and still not even make a dent in their asset total. Where things get a little dicey is the money aspect. Nobody in OKC makes any big money outside of SGA/Hartenstein. You pair say, Lu Dort and Isaiah Joe, and that's only $29M. Perhaps this one would require more team to get involved, but if you're asking price requires young talent and draft picks, then I think you have to consider OKC as a potential option, and that's even before you factor in KD's history there.

What we can say is that nothing in the offseason is going to happen until KD is ultimately traded. That's the big domino that will hold the league hostage until it happens. From a basketball standpoint, KD has shown he has plenty left in the tank, so now it just comes down to who is going to be willing to step up and pay the price it takes to bring him in. 

Something tells me these upcoming playoffs are going to help shape his market, especially for teams like HOU/MEM/OKC. KD could solve a lot of problems for a lot of teams who are in need of some offense, and as we know disappointing playoff failure often spurs action.