How Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics Could Swing a Blockbuster Kevin Durant Trade
The Boston Celtics are the reigning NBA champions, and they look poised to make a hearty title defense this summer.
The Phoenix Suns are suddenly looking a little more like the team many expected them to be, winning four straight and surging back into the play-in mix.
But the upward trajectories of both squads, who play each other on Wednesday, didn't prevent a new rumor from surfacing in the mill.
Tuesday, FS1's Nick Wright floated the possibility of Kevin Durant joining the Celtics this summer.
"Two totally unrelated people, both of whom have reputations for knowing things that other people don't know, have said to me, 'Watch out for Durant in Boston.'"
Now, a handful of other dominos would likely have to fall for a KD-to-Boston blockbuster to materialize. The Celtics melting down early in the playoffs is one. Both teams ducking the second apron (which is projected to be $207.8 million) is another.
Right now, Boston and Phoenix are set to be over that line, which precludes them from aggregating outgoing salaries in a trade or taking in more salary than they're sending out.
We've seen crazier things happen, though. And the offseason affords teams the opportunity to stack deals in an effort to do something wild.
Below, we'll look at some of the steps that would likely need to be taken for Durant to be a Celtic in 2025-26.
Shedding Salary
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Even without their rosters for next season finalized, the Celtics and Suns have $225.5 million and $218.7 million, respectively, committed in 2025-26 salaries.
To pull off a KD trade, either or both would have to shed enough money to wiggle under the aforementioned second apron, currently projected to be $207.8 million.
That could mean teams with cap space willingly absorbing most of the $32.4 million Jrue Holiday is set to make next season or the $16.9 million Grayson Allen will make.
Those aren't insignificant amounts Boston and/or Phoenix need to unload, but they're also not impossible numbers to get to.
The Jaylen Brown Option
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Again, Boston would need to flame out early for this to feel remotely feasible. And even then, it might not make a ton of sense.
Durant turns 37 in September, and Brown turns 29 in October. Brown is under contract through 2028-29 while KD will need a new contract (at the latest) in 2026—a deal that could secure him into his 40s.
The Celtics already winning a championship, one that ended with a Finals MVP for Brown, feels like a pretty big deal, too.
However, advanced numbers say Durant has been significantly better than Brown this season. KD scores more, is bigger and is dramatically more efficient.
And while there's something to be said about the off-court drama or discontent that has seemingly followed him to every stop, there's no doubt the 15-time All-Star's game is about as malleable as any we've ever seen from a superstar.
He can wreak havoc on or off the ball. His shooting makes him an easy fit anywhere.
And his salary is right around the same range as Brown's. That's why his is the name you naturally think of when this possibility comes up.
This swap would almost certainly preclude Phoenix from getting first-round draft capital, but it's still not a crazy sell for the Suns.
Brown makes them younger. He already has plenty of experience playing alongside a ball-dominant wing like Devin Booker. And landing him would mean the organization wouldn't have to convince Booker to sign up for a rebuild.
A New 'Big Three'
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This might be even less likely than some form of a Brown-for-KD trade.
Trading Holiday or Derrick White in one move, just to get under the second apron, and then combining multiple salaries to get to Durant's $54.7 million would leave Boston awfully shallow.
Beyond the second apron-ducking move, it would likely cost them one more big-money player (like Holiday, White or Kristaps Porziņģis) and both of Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, just to satisfy the salary-matching rules.
As interesting as the resulting "big three" of Jayson Tatum, Brown and Durant would be, there's a reason that approach to team-building has fallen out of favor.
On top of the new restrictions on pricey teams that accompanied the current collective bargaining agreement, the "three stars and little to no depth" model hasn't been as successful in recent years as "two stars and depth."
Just look at the difference between this season's Celtics and Suns if you need any convincing.
Phoenix going all-in (especially when it kind of already was all-in) on Bradley Beal is a big part of why the team has been so underwhelming this season. Boston, on the other hand, can seemingly overwhelm just about anyone with waves of versatility and shooting on any given night.
KD in Boston is a Long Shot
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As fun as it might be to imagine another one of NBA history's top 15-20 players in Celtic green, it's just not likely for Durant.
On top of the financial hurdles, and even though KD is likely better than Brown right now, gutting a championship-caliber roster for a player approaching 40 doesn't make a ton of sense.
That isn't to question Wright's sources or reporting. Boston could well be kicking the idea around. Front offices are always looking at possibilities, contingencies, contingencies for contingencies, etc.
But the chances of any of those leading to KD being a Celtic are slim, especially when other teams from around the league will likely be bidding on the superstar, too.
