Suns Trade Kevin Durant & Devin Booker
Pelicans Offseason Moves
Draft Terrence Shannon Jr. |SG/SF| (17th)
Draft Tidjane Salaun |PF| (21st)
Trade CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Two First-Round Picks to PHX for Devin Booker
Sign Mason Plumlee
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Trade Explanation
The addition of Booker would immediately vault New Orleans into championship contention in the Western Conference alongside the likes of the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. Forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are proven stars but lack the ability to step up as the No. 1 option when it matters most. Not to mention the health concerns that surround Williamson.
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New Orleans Pelicans Potential Depth Chart
PG Devin Booker/ Jose Alvarado
SG Brandon Ingram/ Jordan Hawkins/ Terrence Shannon Jr.
SF Herb Jones/ Dyson Daniels/ EJ Liddell
PF Zion Williamson/ Naji Marshall/ Tidjane Salaun
C Larry Nance Jr./ Mason Plumlee
Thunder Offseason Moves
Re-sign Gordon Hayward
Trade Jalen Williams, Luguentz Dort, Pick No.12, and Three First-Round Picks to PHX for Kevin Durant
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Trade Explanation
The Thunder are the youngest No. 1 seed ever, and they should be great for years to come. Still, adding Durant would propel their championship chances even further, all while they keep stacking up talent and getting the next generation ready to take over. Nobody has more draft picks than them, so it makes sense.
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Oklahoma City Thunder Potential Depth Chart
PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander/ Cason Wallace
SG Josh Giddey/ Isaiah Joe/ Lindy Waters III
SF Gordon Hayward/ Aaron Wiggins
PF Kevin Durant/ Kenrich Williams/ Ousmane Dieng
C Chet Holmgren/ Jaylin Williams/ Mike Muscala
Suns Offseason Moves
Draft Ja'Kobe Walter |SG/SF| (12th)
Draft Yves Missi |C| (22nd)
Trade Kevin Durant & Devin Booker to OKC & NOP for CJ McCollum, Jalen Williams, Trey Murphy III, Luguentz Dort, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Pick No.12, and Five First-Round Picks
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Trade Explanation
Things didn’t work out well for Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. They fell short in the playoffs on his first try, and he couldn’t even win a single postseason game in his first full season with the organization. The Suns don’t have a first-round draft pick until 2030, and they’re hard against the salary cap. Under the NBA‘s new CBA, they’ll face hefty penalties and won’t be able to sign players unless they’re on veteran minimum contracts.
The Suns would acquire established starters in Murphy and McCollum, who are at opposite ends of their careers. After years as the backcourt partner to Damian Lillard in Portland, McCollum joined the Pelicans in 2022. Since then, he’s averaging 21.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.4 rebounds on 45.4% shooting. The fit alongside Beal could raise questions due to their similar play styles and subpar defensive attributes, but there’s no doubt he adds another dimension of scoring to their offense.
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Phoenix Suns Potential Depth Chart
PG CJ McCollum/ Grayson Allen
SG Bradley Beal/ Eric Gordon/ Ja'Kobe Walter/ Damion Lee
SF Trey Murphy III/ Lu Dort/ Josh Okogie
PF Jalen Williams/ Nassir Little/ David Roddy
C Jusuf Nurkic/ Drew Eubanks/ Yves Missi