NEWSLETTER
Buckle up everyone, the NBA offseason is just getting started and already got going with a bang.
Last night, we got as massive Woj Bomb around 9:00 pm that said the Knicks were sending a whole bunch of first round picks, pick swaps, and Bojan Bogdanovic to the Nets in return for Mikal Bridges. The Knicks went all in for Bridges and hope to keep OG Anunoby to help load up to compete against the Boston Celtics.
But there was a second deal that Brooklyn was involved in shortly after that will likley loom large on the NBA offseason map as well. It was a complicated one, so I’ll use Woj’s exact words not mine:
Another massive deal: Brooklyn has a deal with Houston to return the Nets’ 2026 first-round pick for a 2027 Phoenix Suns first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Rockets also acquire 2025 right to swap Houston/OKC first for 2025 Suns first-round pick. More details coming on picks deal.
More in deal: Houston acquires 2029 more favorable of Dallas and Phoenix first-round pick and acquires right to swap Houston first-round pick for less favorable Dallas first and Phoenix first, per sources.
Adrian Wojnarowski via X
So there’s a lot going on there, but essentially, Brooklyn got back their 2026 1st Round pick from Houston in exchange for the Suns 2027 1st Round pick, the right to a 2025 1st Round pick swap, and a 2029 1st Round pick swap.
Houston reportedly did this with the intent of going big-game hunting this offseason. Shortly after the deal went down, Woj reported that the Rockets pulled off that deal with the intent of loading up on future assets to make a play for Kevin Durant.
This morning, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst doubled down on that sentiment and said he too believes the Rockets are gearing up to make a run at KD.
Could The Rockets Add Kevin Durant?
Houston is entering win now mode in their minds, and after seeing the Western Conference playoffs and how loaded the conference is they know they need to add a legitimate superstar to their young core to compete. It’s completely understandable that they’d want to make a run at Durant. They have an awesome young core, and one that made a really impressive run in the West last season but fell just short of a Play-In bid. They feel primed to take the next step.
But are the Suns ready to blow it up just yet? That will be the million dollar question.
As of right now, KD hasn’t asked for a trade and Phoenix hasn’t shown any intent to move him. But that could always change. And the deal Houston pulled off with Brooklyn puts them in the pole position if and when the Kevin Durant sweepstakes does get underway.
Mat Ishbia took over the Suns in 2023, and they made some big splashes. They picked up Durant from the Nets for Mikal Bridges and a ton of picks. Then they added Bradley Beal from the Wizards this past offseason. But unfortunately for them, they sacrificed pretty much all of their future assets and an incredible chunk of their cap space only to fall flat in the first round against the Timberwolves in a pretty non-competitive series.
Now, there’s not much shame in losing to that Minnesota team. They were awesome in the postseason and were the second-seed in the West. But they’re also not going anywhere. And neither is OKC or Denver. That means not only are the Suns behind those teams in the race, but they also have basically zero assets and zero cap room to improve. So at this point, why not look to start looking toward the future? Houston can also help them with that by potentially returning some of their picks.
Ultimately, it will likely come down to whether or not Ishbia can admit that his bold attempts to bring a title to Phoenix just didn’t work. By all indications, he hasn’t gotten to that point yet. But also Woj and Windhorst wouldn’t be talking about this if there weren’t very real intentions on Houston’s part.
If the Suns do decide to run it back. Houston is still well set up to pivot and make a run at a different star. Paul George is a free agent and his time in LA could be coming to an end. Donovan Mitchell has yet to sign an extension in Cleveland. Jimmy Butler appears to be very much on the block for Miami. Whether or not it’s KD, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Rockets to make a run at a big fish this offseason. Last night was just the first domino to fall in what could end up being a wild NBA offseason.
