NBA Rumors: Phoenix Suns Chasing Kevin Durant's Old Teammates In Free Agency

With a "big three" of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Phoenix Suns are top-heavy in talent. But at the other end of their rotation, things are a bit sketchy, largely thanks to the depth they had to sacrifice in the KD trade. 

One of the things the Suns are looking for is a bit more floor-spacing to make things a bit easier on Durant and Booker. To that end, they're expected to make a run at KD's teammate from the Brooklyn Nets, long-range bombing Yuta Watanabe.

Yuta Watanabe is a potential target for the Phoenix Suns, per @TheSteinLine

“As Phoenix scours the league for quality players willing to play for the league minimum and chase a ring in its supporting cast surrounding Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Nets… pic.twitter.com/huyron9hcB

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) June 28, 2023

According to NBA Insider Marc Stein, “As Phoenix scours the league for quality players willing to play for the league minimum and chase a ring in its supporting cast surrounding Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, Nets sharpshooter Yuta Watanabe and Nets alumnus Mike James (Durant's close friend who played this past season at AS Monaco in the EuroLeague) have surfaced as potential targets.”

Watanabe set a career-high this past season, draining 44.4% of his threes. He hustles at both ends of the court, and obviously made an impression on Durant in their one season together. 

Stein's report also mentions another former Brooklyn Net, and close friend of KD, Mike James, as a Suns' target. He actually played in Phoenix in the 2017-18 season, notching 10.4 points and 3.8 assists in 20.9 minutes per game. But he's only appeared in the NBA once since then, in the 2020-21 season, when he played in 13 games for the Nets and averaged 7.7 points. 

Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports