Insider Proposes ‘Nuclear Trade Option’ For Phoenix Suns

This season continues to be a complete bust for the Phoenix Suns, as their so-called 'Big 3' of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have failed to make the team into a playoff contender... or even a Play-In team, at this point.

The buzz has percolated that Durant and the Suns will work together to find a new home for the future Hall of Famer this summer, as he's ready to do what he always does—look for greener pastures. They already tried to trade him, as well as Beal, at the deadline in February, but to no avail.

Analyst Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report figures if the Suns are really ready to blow this thing up, he's got a 'nuclear trade option', as he puts it, that would completely reconstruct the Phoenix roster from top to bottom, by trading both KD and Booker.

Houston Rockets receive:

Kevin Durant (from Suns)

San Antonio Spurs receive:

Devin Booker (from Suns)
Josh Okogie (from Hornets)
Jae'Sean Tate (from Rockets)
Jeff Green (from Rockets)
$5 million trade exception (Malaki Branham)

Phoenix Suns receive:

Devin Vassell (from Spurs)
Harrison Barnes (from Spurs)
Keldon Johnson (from Spurs)
Jabari Smith Jr. (from Rockets)
Reed Sheppard (from Rockets)
Cam Whitmore (from Rockets)
Aaron Holiday (from Rockets)
2025 Suns own first-rounder (from Rockets)
2025 unprotected first-rounder (from Spurs)
2027 protected Miami Heat first-rounder (from Hornets)
2029 protected first-rounder (from Spurs)
$12.7 million trade exception (Devin Booker)

Charlotte Hornets receive:

Malaki Branham (from Spurs)
Jock Landale (from Rockets)
2025 Atlanta Hawks first-rounder (from Spurs)

For the Rockets, this fulfills their long-stated desire to add a superstar to their mix to put them over the top, though they'd be giving up a lot of high-end young talent. But with a remaining core group of Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet (if he re-signs as expected), Amen Thompson, Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks to go along with KD, it would be a scary foundation.

The Spurs, while giving up a boatload of talent themselves in Vassel and Johnson, receive that third true superstar to go with Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox. That's an exciting Big 3 that makes sense — that complement each others' games.

As for the Suns, it would be a complete reset. Replenishing with talented young players and draft picks. Vassell, Johnson, Sheppard, Whitmore and Smith are compelling up-and-coming players that, as Pincus puts it, "should excite the fanbase more than the current... dysfunctional squad."

Alas, Beal, the player the Suns would really love to get off of,

is pretty much untradeable because of his albatross of a contract

which includes a full no-trade clause, which he recently gloated about

much to the chagrin of many.