The Phoenix Suns Could Get Kevin Durant

As many of you know, the Phoenix Suns will most likely own the right to Atlanta's pick in this years draft. They received the possible pick as a part of the Joe Johnson sign and trade deal. The pick is top 3 protected, so the Suns will only receive the pick if Atlanta draws anything below three in June's draft lottery. With the Hawks having only the fifth worst record in the league, it looks as if Phoenix will most likely end up with the pick. The question now is what they will do with it. Conventional wisdom says they will try and draft a Joakim Noah or Corey Brewer type player. But I'm of the belief that they will try and package the Atlanta pick, their two other picks, and Shawn Marion in order to move up and pick Kevin Durant.

As I've detailed here before, the Suns have salary cap issues. With Shawn Marion scheduled to make $17 million next year and strapped with an opt out after 2008, Phoenix will probably have no choice but to look to move Marion. There's no better time to try and do this than this summer. With a one of a kind player with the potential of Durant on the board, the Suns will look to make the move of Marion now. Moving Marion for Durant would give them immediate salary cap relief as Durant would be locked in to a Rookie deal for four years. The two teams most likely to capture the number two pick are the Celtics and the Bobcats. If the Celtics capture the number two pick, the Suns could send the Celtics their three first round picks and Marion for Theo Ratliff, trade filler and the rights to Kevin Durant. Ratliff comes off the books in the summer of 2008, so the suns would receive the cap relief they need. If Charlotte captures the number two pick, the Suns could offer them Marion and their three first round picks for the rights to Kevin Durant. The Bobcats have plenty of cap room, and could afford to take on Marion's $17 million dollar salary. The question is do any of these teams have the balls to pull of such a deal. Chad Ford and Bill Simmons both seem to think it's a possibility.

The only question: Why would Charlotte or Boston be willing to accept such a deal?

Put Marion on Charlotte and you have one of the most athletic dynamic front lines in the league. A front line of Marion, Gerald Wallace, and Okafur puts the Bobcats a chance to field the entire front line for the NBA's all defensive first team. They could use Phoenix's lottery pick to select a guy like Corey Brewer (another potential all league defender) and combine him with either Raymond Felton or Brevin Knight in the backcourt. If you take those starters and add them with bench players Adam Morrison, Sean May, and Matt Carol and you have a young, high octane team that has the potential to run, shoot, and defend with the best of them. And that's before you factor in the other two first round picks they'd likely receive from Phoenix this year. In a draft this deep, they could easily become a deep team full of great young talent.

If the Celtics made the deal, the premise would be that they could win now rather than later. The Celtics already have Paul Pierce. They need to add someone next to him that is ready to contribute at all-star level. Otherwise, there really is no point in keeping Pierce. Marion is the type of All-Star player that the Celtics could use. Add him and whoever they could get with Phoenix's first round picks and you have a team that could lift the Celtics out of their current sorry state.

For Phoenix, a deal for Durant makes sense not only for salary cap purposes, but because Durant is the type of player that would keep Phoenix in the thick of championship contention long after Steve Nash retires. Imagine a Suns team where Barbosa, Durant, and Amare are playing next to each other for the next 10 years and Steve Nash is passing to them for at least the next 3-5 years. Scary doesn't even begin to sum up that situation.

Previously at Fanhouse:

Why the Suns Will Trade Shawn Marion

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

4-03-2007 @ 4:31AM

michel said...

the NBA is a buisness and so are the Suns but I hope they won't screw Marion, who has been a righteous brother his whole tenure in Phoenix. To reward his unselfishness and all-star contibutions (without running a single play for him) would be a major disrespect, regardless of the business savvy. Sarver may pull some crap like that even if the Suns go all the way but in any case it would be a sad end to the loyal and selfless contribution that Marion has mad to the Suns.

4-03-2007 @ 6:15AM

Stacey Franchise said...

If Ainge made that trade, I'd kill him myself.

PS... good call on Billy Donovan as the 2007-2008 Boston Celtics coach.

Oh, you didn't say that? You should have.

4-03-2007 @ 12:25PM

Justin Poulin said...

The Celtics simply do not have the room on the roster to take on all those draft picks - not to mention they have a glut of players at the 3 in development. Tony Allen, Gerald Green, Wally Z. So adding Marion to that mix is a bit of a numbers crunch unless you want to take Wally back, but then the deal doesn't make any sense for Phoenix. Marion could play the 4 with Al Jefferson at Center - and believe me, Al Jefferson has already become a stud bigman in the league this season it's just that nobody will hear about it until next season when the team gets some limelight - which will be due in large part to the pick they get this year, so why would the Celtics trade one of the best players to come out in years along with their financial flexibility? Simply put, there will be better deals out there for the Celtics this summer rather than take the handcuffs from the hands of Phoenix and wrap them around the wrists of Wyc Grousbeck...

4-05-2007 @ 9:45PM

Sam said...

Why would anyone trade a future superstar for a rental on a highly paid player over thirty?

4-03-2007 @ 1:06PM

nate said...

Well I should have mentioned that the Celtics could keep Marion and then package the picks and maybe one of their other current players and get another veteran that could help them win now. There are endless possibilities, and with Phoenix willing to wheel and deal, the Celtics would be fools to not investigate. Not saying they have to make the deal. They just need to take a look at all options.

4-03-2007 @ 1:13PM

Red Auerbach used to pull moves like this all of the time. He would take a higher first round pick trade down and turn him into three great players (see: the deal that brought McHale and Parish in 1980). It takes guts, but there might be away that they can turn that Kevin Durant into something spectacular. Especially with KD's stock so high at this point. If anything, GMs are probably willing to overpay for Durant. Again not saying that it's something you do for sure, but it is at least something you explore.

4-03-2007 @ 1:39PM

Nate said...

I should have also mentioned some scenarios for the Bucks or Memphis being willing to deal with the Suns, but for the purpose of time, decided to focus on the Bobcats and Celtics. I have a feeling Memphis will take home the number one pick and will draft Oden. The Bucks would probably be willing to make a deal with Phoenix though.

4-03-2007 @ 6:58PM

leafblower said...

If anything, the C's draft Durant and trade Pierce. Not that Durant is going to be better than Pierce, but with Gerald and Al developing, dealing Pierce sets the rebuilding clock back a bit (especially if they keep Doc). They'll still sell plenty of tickets with Durant, which would be ownerships only worry.

4-03-2007 @ 6:04PM

HisRegginess said...

Let's just face reality: if Durant and Oden come out, nobody who wins one of the top two picks is trading it. That's why everybody without a chance at a top two pick is dreaming up scenarios in which they trade for one, and nobody with a chance at a top two pick is even considering trading it. Forget it.

4-03-2007 @ 6:06PM

4-03-2007 @ 8:23PM

FDANAYSAYERS said...

This is all wishful thinking any team that gets the top 2 picks will not trade down (Given that Oden and Durant) come out. Say the Hawks move down to the top 3 and Durant stays..then yes Suns have a shot at him next year. But if the Hawks move out of the top 3, the Suns are high on Noah or Horford, they could package the latter two picks and trade up and get Brewer and Noah. As for Marion, if the Suns win the Championship he's staying..they'll restructure an extension and probably trade kurt and banks

4-03-2007 @ 10:33PM

Shayan said...

I'm a Celtics fan, and I see this as a terrible deal on the on the Suns side. Three first round picks and an All-Star forward for cap room and one young guy? I don't think any team is that stupid, this deal would only make sense if you replaced Durant with a proven superstar like LeBron or Kobe (and even that's a stretch)

4-04-2007 @ 11:38PM

Shanoe said...

The Bucks are tanking the season as the Celtics have recently beaten some of the better teams. I would sit out Pierce and Jefferson against the Bucks and suit-up Ainge and Doc Rivers and Heinsoln. This lottery crap has become a joke.

4-04-2007 @ 1:52AM

Ricky said...

Its kinda funny cause i wrote about this same idea on my blog a few days ago and also posted it on the foxsports blogs, and got killed by the people there for the idea. I think Durant is a stud is worth giving up someone like Marion, who's also the suns highest paid player.

4-04-2007 @ 3:53AM

grover said...

I like the idea of the trade, but agree that it is a bit one-sided for the Suns.

Let the Suns keep the extra two draft picks (i.e. swap the highest pick + Marion) OR give the Suns a superfluous young guy - maybe Telfair or Green(who is made superfluous by adding Marion).

4-05-2007 @ 8:10PM

Ray said...

Wow, I love all the moves you GM's are making. Nice to fantasize you have that power, huh?
Deal with reality, folks. Although you undoubtedly have more brain power than Danny Ainge, he will be the one to make any moves, not you.
LOL, but you keep right on playing your "let's do this and let's do that" little game. It's kinda cute watching you pretend.

4-11-2007 @ 10:13AM

Aceboonkk said...

MJ & Ainge both paid fines for drooling over Durant already.

They're both smarter than that, they're building teams.

4-19-2007 @ 1:31PM

bigi2na said...

I heard a rumor the Suns could package Marion and two first round draft picks to the Timberwolves for Garnett. I wonder if Garnett would actually fit in their style.

4-23-2007 @ 11:02PM

Greg said...

If the Suns trade Marion, we will regret it terribly. our deffense is key to him grabbing boards and our offense would die without those dunks and occasional threes. I honestly have no clue why we signed Marcus Banks for that much money, im sorry but he really is not all that great, same with Kurt Thomas. I say trade them both and keep Marion. Oh and I wont cry if we dont get Kevin Durant. The simple fact is that S.T.A.T cant grab all those boards, he needs help. I cannot even count how many times Marion has saved us. Besides he's been my favorite since he signed with us in 99. He's an amazing player and this franchise called the suns would not be the same.

5-14-2007 @ 5:53PM

Wouldn't make sense to me, they already have players that fit his mold. They need to get someone more physical like Oden. They haven't got close to winning a championship the way they are now.

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