Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. Reportedly Linked to Suns amid Kevin Durant Trade Rumors

Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. has reportedly been linked to the Phoenix Suns amid rumors that Kevin Durant could be traded.

Sam Amick, Jon Krawczynski and Kelly Iko of The Athletic reported that news amid a thorough breakdown on the latest regarding the potential landing spots for Durant and the obstacles that exist as far as him potentially being moved.

"On the other hand, a reshaping within the Suns front office factors into negotiations. Houston and Phoenix have been in contact for over a year concerning Durant, with the Suns’ aggression a byproduct of a lack of leverage and flexibility. At one point, team sources say, Phoenix was determined to regain control of its draft capital (first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and swap rights in 2029) and at another, was seeking multiple young talents like Alperen Şengün and Jalen Green.

"Recently, forward Jabari Smith Jr.’s name has come up pertaining to the Suns’ interest, team and league sources say. Green, whose name has been connected to Durant and other stars in trade rumors, is determined to improve upon his playoff struggles and wants to stay in Houston, league sources say. But the Rockets have largely been uninterested in breaking up their depth, even for a future Hall of Famer. There’s also the question of his age and injury history — juxtaposed with the timeline of Houston’s young core — and the tradeoff that comes with championship-chasing and development."

Durant, a 15-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion, is all but out of Phoenix at this juncture. The Athletic reported that Durant is "widely expected to be traded from the Phoenix Suns soon."

That certainly makes sense considering the Suns, who just finished 11th in the Western Conference, aren't in a position to seriously contend for a championship right now. KD, of course, is a fantastic talent in his own right though even at the age of 36, averaging 26.6 points on 52.7 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists last year.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday that the Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat are Durant's preferred trade destinations. That's an important note considering that Durant, who only has one year left on his current contract at $54.7 million, would be eligible for a two-year contract extension (worth as much as $122 million) on July 6, per Charania.

Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic reported Friday, via a league source, that Durant would be traded "in the coming days." He added that a "handful of teams" were in contention for him and mentioned the Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves in particular.

And then he added this remark on the Rockets via a league source: "A league source informed The Republic the Rockets would be the ideal landing spot for Durant, saying they need a 'go-to guy' in the fourth quarter and have draft picks and young players to offer the Suns in return."

So there's a ton of smoke surrounding the Rockets and Durant. And if a deal sending KD to Houston comes to fruition, then perhaps Smith could be involved.

The 22-year-old Smith, a former Auburn star, has played three NBA seasons after Houston selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 draft. He averaged 12.2 points on 43.8 percent shooting (35.4 percent from three) and 7.0 rebounds in 57 games last season (39 starts). Smith played 30.1 minutes per game in the regular season, but his minutes dipped to 20.4 MPG in the playoffs.

There may be some concern given that he hasn't found himself on an upward trajectory of yet after three seasons. Notably, his shooting numbers dipped from year-to-year, and he also averaged fewer rebounds per 36 minutes this season as well.

But there's a lot of potential with Smith. He's just 22 years old and a top-three draft pick. There's still time for him to grow and develop into the player who showed so much talent at Auburn en route to him being named a Second Team All-American. Jonathan Wasserman notably provided a pro comparison to Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. in his 2022 scouting report for B/R.

So the Suns' reported interest would make sense. Right now, though, it's a waiting game to see where KD lands. At this juncture, it doesn't appear to be much longer until we find out where Durant goes next.