Atlanta Hawks called ‘worst fit’ for Kevin Durant in potential trade

It’s possible this could be a crazy NBA offseason.

Many teams have an uncertain future ahead of them and they may have to take many steps to try to restructure their rosters. Two of those teams could be the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns.

Phoenix faces perhaps the darkest future in the NBA. They have no draft assets, Bradley Beal’s contract is arguably the worst in the league and they are an aging team with few ways to improve their roster. The only way for them to reorganize their equity and acquire more players is to trade Kevin Durant.

The Atlanta Hawks, on the other hand, have been mediocre since trading for Dejounte Murray two years ago and they are likely heading toward a Trae Young/Murray backcourt breakup. With that in mind, could the Hawks and Suns find a way to be trade partners with Durant heading to Atlanta? Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report thinks the Hawks might be the worst destination for Durant and he explained why:

“The Hawks have been mentioned in the potential Durant sweepstakes, although it’s hard to say exactly why. Atlanta could obviously use a player of his caliber, sure, but what’s the deal with him offer (or for him, for that matter)? If he thought there were too many pick-and-rolls in Phoenix, it’s hard to see him liking a Hawks offense that had the fourth-most possessions? finished off by a pick-and-roll ball handler.

Durant is at the point in his career where he should be in pure championship chase mode. This doesn’t happen in Atlanta. The Hawks, who have won two playoff series since 2016, just finished 10 games below .500 and lost the minutes shared by Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, their two best players, by 6.5 points per 100 possessions.

And who knows how much Atlanta would have to gut its roster just to bring Durant to town? The Hawks can’t trade their own first-round pick until 2029, meaning they would need a significant trade package in terms of players to attract the Suns’ attention. Considering they’re not overflowing with talent to begin with, Durant might end up with little more than a skeleton crew for a supporting cast. “

In a recent episode of the Lowe Post Podcast, ESPN NBA analyst Zach Lowe and Bobby Marks were speculating on hypothetical trades for Durant this summer and Lowe mentioned the Atlanta Hawks as a destination:

“Orlando would be the most fun, but that’s not their modus operandi. The one that makes sense, in theory, is Atlanta, for one of the point guards, De’Andre Hunter, Saddiq Bey, just throw all wings but they just don’t have a choice they have the Sacramento pick and as another future pick they could trade they just don’t have a choice but it’s a little fake amusing. “

Last season, Durnat averaged over 27 PPG on 52% shooting from the field and 41% from three and he has played in 75 of 82 games this year. He also averaged nearly seven rebounds per game and five assists per game. The question would be how many more seasons can he give like this? There could be three or four, but it’s possible there’s only one. He will likely be an All-NBA selection this year.

I think a trade with Durant this summer would be fascinating to see. He’s clearly still a great player, but his age and the fact that he only has two years left on his contract might make teams hesitant to give up much for him. Phoenix sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected picks, plus a swap of picks in 2028. I seriously doubt Phoenix can get that type of return for Durant, but they won’t get any cents.

It will also be interesting to see what Phoenix’s priorities would be in a trade. They are stuck with Beal because he still has a no-trade clause in his contract and given that contract, no team is going to want to trade for him, especially after the season he had. They still have Booker unless he demands a trade or Phoenix makes the decision to blow it. I doubt they would, considering they don’t all have their own choices. Trading Durant seems to be the best possible route to acquiring assets.

What would the Hawks have to give up to get Durant?

Given that the Hawks are likely looking to trade Trae Young or Dejounte Murray, that would be the place to start. Atlanta could send Murray, De’Andre Hunter, AJ Griffin and a 2030 first-round pick to Phoenix for Durant. The Hawks could also include Clint Capela instead of Hunter, but Jusuf Nurkic has two years left on his contract and that wouldn’t make sense for Phoenix unless they trade him. Murray could be Phoenix’s point guard, Hunter gives them a starting forward, Griffin gives them depth, as well as a young player to have as a potential piece for the future, and they get a first round pick.

Would that be enough? That is the question. I think this is the best offer the Hawks can offer, but it may not be the best offer Phoenix receives. There would be plenty of competition for Durant and teams like Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and New York would be teams that could give the Suns a ton of picks. Almost every team in the NBA would want Durant because he instantly makes them better and Atlanta would have plenty of other competition.

The Suns will also likely want Jalen Johnson back in a deal with Atlanta and while Durant is currently a better player, Johnson is 22 and appears to have All-NBA potential. I think the Hawks would be reluctant to trade him for Durant, 35, and they should. I also think they would rather have a Young/Durant duo than a Murray/Durant duo.

This summer is shaping up to be one of the most interesting the NBA has seen in some time. Atlanta and Phoenix will likely be right in the middle of this.