After a little over two months since the 2024-25 NBA season ended for the Phoenix Suns (36-46), Kevin Durant was traded away after spending the last two seasons in the valley following a previous trade from the Brooklyn Nets in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign.
NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Sunday that the Suns agreed to send Durant to Houston in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and five second-round picks. The trade will be official on July 6, when the new league year begins.
Despite reported strong interest from other teams, such as the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns completed the move with the Rockets, the No. 2 seed (52-30) in the Western Conference last season.
This is an exciting move for many people around the league, but there are multiple winners whose immediate future drastically changed for the better.
3 biggest winners from the Kevin Durant blockbuster trade
3. Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns
I know these are two winners, but the trade helps both teams in different but similar ways. Kevin Durant is coming off a 62-game season in which he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting 52.7% from the field, 43% from deep and 83.9% from the free-throw line.
There is a reason why multiple contenders and up-and-coming squads tried to lure him away from Phoenix. Durant, 36, is one of the oldest, yet most efficient players in the league. He still belongs to the elite despite being closer to the end of his career than his prime and after suffering several injuries, including an Achilles one.
On the other end, adding a young player like Jalen Green rejuvenates the Suns’ roster. He is not at Cade Cunningham’s level (touted as his direct competition), who unlocked his game last season and took the Detroit Pistons to the postseason for the first time after six campaigns. That said, Green has shown glimpses of his brilliance.
Additionally, the presence of Dillon Brooks, another veteran who excels on defense and the draft compensation they received, put the Suns in a good position to keep building around Devin Booker and plan for the future.
2. Jalen Green
Jalen Green lands on a team that is looking to go younger after pinning all their hopes on Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Suns reporter John Gambadoro shared on Sunday that the team plans to keep Green and pair him up with Devin Booker to lead the backcourt.
Following a promising sophomore year (2022-23), Green’s numbers regressed a bit, as he tried to find his position on the team. He went from 22.1 points per game two seasons ago to 19.6 and 21.0 ppg in the last two years. His minutes went down from 34.2 per outing to 31.7 and 32.9, respectively.
His usage went from 28.6 in 2022-23 to 27.9 last season, while Alperen Sengun, who became the No. 1 option of the team during that span, had a 22.5 usage in 2022-23 and a 27.5 usage in 2024-25.
The 23-year-old guard wasn’t given the keys to the car by Ime Udoka, while Stephen Silas appeared to feel more confident about him. Playing alongside Devin Booker and under Jordan Ott can help him unlock his game.
1. Reed Sheppard
Reed Sheppard entered the NBA considered one of the most promising players in his draft class. The Kentucky product was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft, but the situation wasn’t the most ideal. The Rockets had plenty of guards that derailed his development during his rookie campaign, starting with Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green and even Dillon Brooks to some extent.
The rookie played 52 games in the 2024-25 season (started in three) and averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting 35.1% from the field, 33.8% from deep and 81.3% from the free-throw line. He had a 18.8 usage, nearly 10 points less than the 27.9 Green had.
With Green and Brooks out of the picture, Sheppard could step up and show the Rockets the talent they had on the bench. As things stand now, he’d have a solid chance to start next season unless Ime Udoka has different plans for Aaron Holiday or Aman Thompson.Out of all the 2024 lottery picks, Sheppard was arguably the one with the slimmest chances to show how impactful he could be.
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