Reports have claimed the Phoenix Suns will work with Kevin Durant and his representatives to move him to a preferred destination this summer. However, legendary TNT analyst Charles Barkley said on Wednesday night, "screw" that.
"The Suns don't need to work with him. They need to get the best deal possible," Barkley said during the pregame show for Game 3 of the NBA Finals. "He's got one year left on his deal. His people are going to try and make it perfect for him. Screw that.
"If I'm the Phoenix Suns , I'm like, 'You know what? We are going to make the best deal possible for our team. Kevin, we are not trying to find you the perfect situation for yourself."
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Durant is expected to move to his fifth team this offseason. Outside of being drafted by the Seattle Supersonics before they became the Oklahoma City Thunder , he has always dictated where he goes. He chose to land with the Golden State Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. And he signed off on going to the Suns two years ago. He also shut down a trade back to Golden State in February.
Barkley has a fair point, because letting the future Hall of Famer again choose where he wants to go does mean they will get the best deal possible. However, he could always threaten not to play if he went somewhere he didn't prefer. And at 36, it isn't impossible that he walks away from the sport.
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Barkley made it clear on ESPN's NBA Finals broadcast what he believes the team he played four memorable seasons for should do when it comes to Durant. However, he doesn't think the Suns should stop there with major changes this summer. In his opinion, they should also move homegrown superstar Devin Booker.
"The team is gonna suck for the next few years," said Barkley. "They've got to start their rebuild. In my opinion, they have to trade Devin Booker and start to rebuild now."
While there were rumblings earlier this year about Phoenix moving the four-time All-Star so they could get out of payroll hell, owner Matt Ishbia has indicated he wants to get back to building around the 28-year-old superstar.
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