Happy Monday! I hope you had a nice weekend.

Congrats to Oklahoma City, which topped Indiana in yesterday’s Game 7. It was tough seeing Tyrese Haliburton go down with an injury so early — it felt like we were cheated out of an epic game. No matter, tip your cap to the Thunder, who took care of business on the sport’s grandest stage, and are your 2024-25 NBA champs!

On to the show!

Reactions to Durant’s Trade to the Rockets

I asked on Friday if the Kevin Durant trade was going to happen, and it didn’t take long for a response.

Kevin Durant is a Houston Rocket.

ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania first reported yesterday the Suns and Rockets have agreed to a deal, in which Phoenix receives Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this week’s NBA Draft and five second-rounders, which are scattered among multiple future drafts.

The general consensus was this:

Meh.

What the Pundits Are Saying About the Durant Trade

Grades were all over the board, and the deciding factor honestly seems to rely upon what lens the deal is viewed through. Remember, this is a 37-year-old with one year remaining on his contract. It simply cannot be viewed as a one-to-one attempt to recoup the assets given up when Durant was acquired a few years ago.

One more obvious callout — there’s no guarantee general manager Brian Gregory is done making deals. Sure, they recovered their own 10th overall pick in this most recent deal, but Phoenix remains light on assets, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more deals down the line.

• Gerald Bourguet, PHNX Sports:
  • Grade: C
  • “The Kevin Durant era in Phoenix may have topped Shaquille O’Neal’s brief stint in the Valley as the most disappointing in franchise history when one considers expectations — not because KD failed, but because the team fell so miserably short of its goal. With Bradley Beal’s massive contract and Devin Booker being untouchable as the face of the franchise, trading Durant became Phoenix’s only recourse for resetting the table.”
• Kevin Felton, ESPN:
  • Grade: B
  • “This Durant trade seems pragmatic for the Suns, who never stood a chance of recouping the value they gave up to get him from the Nets at the 2023 trade deadline. Durant is more than two years older now and a year away from free agency, meaning Phoenix had far less control of negotiations. And after the team’s relationship with Durant frayed when the Suns discussed trading him in February, bringing him back wasn’t a realistic threat.”
• Brad Botkin, CBS Sports:
  • Grade: C
  • “The Suns lacked leverage here. Everyone knew they had to trade Durant and everyone knew the places Durant wanted to go. Houston was one of them, so the Rockets, knowing Durant will likely be willing to sign up for more than just next season, were willing to part with a pretty good package for the Suns under the circumstances.”
• Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation:
  • Grade: D
  • “The best move for the Suns’ future would have been trading Devin Booker for a bigger package, but Phoenix was resolute to hold onto him. With a disappointing trade package coming back for Durant, it feels like Phoenix has little hope for the present or the next few years.”One thing’s for sure: PHNX and the PHNX Suns podcast will continue to keep you in the loop with any new developments!
• Prince J. Grimes, USA Today:
  • Grade: C-
  • “The Suns were seemingly handcuffed by Durant’s leverage to choose his destination, limiting them to about five teams they could negotiate with, so you have to assume this was the best package they could get. Considering the circumstances, it’s not awful.”
• Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report:
  • Grade: C-
  • “The Suns may deserve a bit more generous grading curve. The return suggests other teams may not have been willing to part with unprotected first-rounders for KD. And in that case, getting one of their own back is a good thing. With so many firsts around the league already spoken of through other deals, the five second-rounders Phoenix got could prove valuable, too … But right now, a Phoenix team that felt hopelessly stuck before this deal barely budged after making it.”

My Take: Was it a king’s ransom? No, especially when considering what every other talking head is saying — it would have been impossible for the Suns to match the embarrassment of riches they gave up to acquire Durant, but taking a step back here, I think this deal is important for more than just the return. General manager Brian Gregory has now completed his first two major tasks since taking the wheel — with the NBA Draft on deck this week — and whether he likes it or not, he may be judged early based upon both his head coach selection and this KD trade.

The deal is over, time to turn the page — on to the draft!

Take a Deeper Dive: Gerald has all you need to know about this deal, what it means, and what the Suns’ next move(s) may look like.

Rocky Finish: The Diamondbacks dropped the final game of their series against the MLB-worst Rockies yesterday, snapping their three-game winning streak with a 4-2 loss. Arizona wraps up its road trip with a three-game set against the White Sox, with first pitch scheduled today for 4:40.

Phoenix Rising: The Mercury (11-4) wrapped up their four-game road trip a perfect 4-0, closing it out with a 107-86 win over the Sky in Chicago. Phoenix has won five straight, six of seven, and is currently in second place in the Western Conference. The Mercury return home to face the 10-3 New York Liberty on Friday (7 pm, ion TV).

All Good Things…: Rising FC had a heck of an unbeaten streak snapped in brutal fashion, falling 4-1 to Charleston Battery over the weekend. Phoenix is back in action in a Jagermeister Cup match on Saturday against Texoma FC (5:30 pm, Arizona’s Family Sports).

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

If early reports are true, the Suns are not planning on flipping Jalen Green.