Happy Friday! We made it through another week! I hope yours went well.

I’ll get to the Kevin Durant trade saga below, but first, how about those Pacers?! We have a Game 7 in the NBA Finals coming up on Sunday (5 pm, ABC), so get ready for the last game of the 2024-25 season! This has been a very entertaining postseason — can’t wait to see what the grand finale has in store.

If you need a joke to get you through to the weekend, here you go: What has four wheels and flies? A garbage truck! 🤣

Let’s run it back next week. On to the show!

When Will Kevin Durant Be Traded?

OK, so is this Kevin Durant trade really going to happen?

Reports from various talking heads leading up to this week made it sound like a trade was imminent — truth be told I expected to be writing about the superstar’s departure much sooner. There are multiple reasons for that, but none more pressing than the upcoming NBA Draft, which kicks off next Wednesday!

One has to assume general manager Brian Gregory and his staff are eyeing additional first-round picks in this year’s draft considering the mediocre-at-best Suns are in a precarious position after missing the playoffs but picking 29th overall. Dealing Durant could help boost that draft capital, but there’s no guarantee the picks would even be for this year.

With each passing day, though, it feels almost as if the Suns are at an impasse with even the most interested team, though ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania indicated on yesterday’s episode of The Pat McAfee Show we may not be far from a deal.

“It’s a game of chicken,” Charania said on the show. “From the Houston Rockets, to the Miami Heat, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s literally one or two pieces away.”

Well, there you have it.

The Most Talked About Durant Trade Proposals

Charania’s commentary reinforces the prevailing sentiment that KD is on his way out of The Valley, and our very own Gerald Bourguet analyzed the most likely trade scenarios in a post earlier this week. (editor’s note: Welcome back from paternity leave, Gerald, and congratulations!)

Here are some CliffsNotes:

• Houston Rockets: SF Dillon Brooks, PF Jabari Smith Jr., PG Reed Sheppard, C Jock Landale, 2025 first-round pick, No. 10 overall.
  • Suns Give Up: Durant only
• Miami Heat: SF Andrew Wiggins, SF Duncan Robinson, C Kel’el Ware, 2025 first-round pick, No. 20 overall.
  • Suns Give Up: Durant only
• Minnesota Timberwolves: C Rudy Gobert, SG Donte DiVincenzo, PG Rob Dillingham, 2025 first-round pick, No. 17 overall.
  • Suns Give Up: Durant only

Bourguet also highlights the possibilities around potential multi-team trades, as well as trade possibilities with other teams who were previously rumored to be interested in Durant’s services, including the Raptors, Clippers and Spurs. Interesting stuff, to say the least.

My Take: If time is of the essence, you’d have to expect Gregory to blink soon. The draft is right around the corner, and Durant is approaching his 37th birthday in September with only one year remaining on his deal, which brings a cap hit of nearly $55 million. The 15-time All-Star should command a king’s ransom in return, but the remaining term on his contract is a burden; imagine giving up all of those assets for just one year of service.

One thing’s for sure: PHNX and the PHNX Suns podcast will continue to keep you in the loop with any new developments!

Take a Deeper Dive: Hear from our PHNX Suns crew on Charania’s comments, and what you can expect from Gregory in the coming days.

Finishing Strong: The Diamondbacks got back to .500 with a 9-5 win over the Blue Jays, salvaging one game after dropping the first two in the series. Arizona’s next two series come against the worst teams in baseball: the 17-58 Rockies and 23-52 White Sox.

More Honors: Sun Devils women’s golf has a representative on the CSC Academic All-District At-Large Team, as Grace Summerhays has earned her second All-District distinction. The communications major boasted a 3.99 GPA (!!!) while completing her degree in seven semesters. Congrats, Grace!

Liberating Win: The Mercury (10-4) waltzed in to New York last night and handed the Liberty just their second loss of the season (89-82) — a huge statement for Phoenix. Monique Akoa Makani had a huge night, leading the team with 21 points and 15 rebounds, and the Mercury had five players finish in double figures.

The win was even more impressive considering it was Phoenix’s second game in as many nights. The Mercury have a chance to wrap up their road trip with a perfect 4-0 mark in Chicago on Saturday (10 am, ABC).

Battery Powered: Rising FC looks to continue its unbeaten streak as it faces second place (Eastern Conference) Charleston on Saturday (4:30 pm, Arizona’s Family Sports). Phoenix drew 1-1 against SC Tulsa last weekend, but has won five of their last six matches, and has not lost since May 7 (U.S. Open Cup Round of 32).

It’s Getting Drafty: KD trade talk isn’t the only thing dominating headlines, as the NBA Draft is next week! Make sure to check out the NBA Diehard Draft Guide — Led by ALLCITY draft analysts Derek Bodner of PHLY and Will Gottlieb of CHGO, this guide is your one-stop-shop as teams across the league gear up to reshape their rosters!

Note the Diehard draft guide is best viewed on desktop or tablet!

Tip Of The Hat By Branded Bills

LOL.