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Suns rumors: 2 other players on trade market with Kevin Durant
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- Suns rumors: 2 other players on trade market with Kevin Durant
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The post Suns rumors: 2 other players on trade market with Kevin Durant appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Phoenix Suns are getting closer and closer to making a Kevin Durant trade this offseason as they move into a new era of the franchise. They will be hoping that a new head coach in Jordan Ott and a new roster after a Durant trade will be enough of a shakeup to change the trajectory of the team heading into next season, but there could be other moves on the horizon for the Suns.
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In addition to Durant being on the move, both Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale could also be on the way out according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
"There has been a good bit of chatter this week about the Suns' willingness to explore trades involving Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale as part of the Durant discussions, sources say, to reduce their tax bill further," Fischer wrote. "After a winter of non-stop trade discussions with various teams, Phoenix is very familiar with the concept of trying to triangulate three-team (or larger) deals."
Some of the teams trying to trade for Durant could also use players like Allen or O'Neale to fill out their rotations. Both are viable 3-point shooters and O'Neale provides some defensive value as well, even if he's not quite the player he once was in Utah.
Allen saw his role diminish significantly last season from what it was in 2023-24. He played just over 24 minutes per game in 64 games, making seven starts, and scored 10.6 points per game. While he couldn't maintain the blistering 46.1% clip from 3-point range that he had two years ago, he still shot the ball at an elite 42.6% clip from downtown.
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O'Neale also just eclipsed the 24 minute per game mark in 75 games, but got 22 starts as a key member of the Suns' rotation. He averaged 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting better than 40% from beyond the arc, so he could be a valuable piece that teams try to bring in alongside Durant.
Putting either of these players in a Durant trade would earn the Suns a bigger return , even if the difference is marginal. However, after the way last season went, any extra assets and improvements will be welcome in Phoenix heading into 2025-26.
Related: NBA rumors: Insiders skeptical of Rockets' Kevin Durant trade chances despite preference
Related: NBA rumors: What Suns are hoping to acquire in Kevin Durant trade package
