Warriors' Draymond Green: Suns Are Favorites in West 'On Paper' After Durant Trade

The Phoenix Suns pulled off the biggest trade of deadline day by acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected future first-round picks.

Golden State Warriors veteran Draymond Green now believes the Suns are the best team in the Western Conference—at least on paper—after pairing Durant with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

"Are the Suns favorites in the West now? On paper they have to be favorites in the West. Definitely on paper," Green said on his podcast Thursday. "But, you know, the Dubs still in the West, and it's the Dubs Invitational until further notice, baby."

The Suns currently sit sixth in the Western Conference with a 30-27 record despite both Booker and Paul missing time because of injury. They're just 2.5 games back of the third-place Sacramento Kings.

If the trio of Durant, Booker and Paul can manage to stay healthy through the second half of the season, then there's no reason to believe the Suns can't be the favorites in the West.

As for the Warriors, they sit ninth in the conference with a 28-27 record, and it's possible they fall even further in the standings with star point guard Stephen Curry sidelined indefinitely with partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligaments and interosseous membrane, in addition to a leg contusion.

If it's going to continue to be the "Dubs Invitational" the Warriors are going to have to prove they can hang around while Curry is sidelined, otherwise it could be Phoenix's year to rise to the top.