And I am too. I see both sides, but I can’t plant my flag.
It’s been ‘Kevin Durant Week’ here at Bright Side, as we dive into the potential paths the Phoenix Suns could take moving forward with their All-Star forward. He’s the first name in what promises to be a long and complicated offseason conversation. And he won’t be the last.
The organization faces a series of tough, interconnected decisions, where every move affects the next. Like cracking a safe, it’ll take the right combinations, aligned in perfect sequence, to unlock the prize they’ve been chasing: a championship.
We’ve explored the layered conversation surrounding Kevin Durant’s future in Phoenix all week. We’ve unpacked why you shouldn’t trade him, why you might, reflected on his season’s performance, and posed the question to the community: Should the Suns trade Kevin Durant? And will they?
It’s a complicated conversation, tangled with variables like roster construction, return on investment, locker room dynamics, and the harsh realities of the salary cap. A clean, definitive answer isn’t easy.
So let’s start here: Should the Suns trade Kevin Durant?
There’s no denying the variables at play, with the potential return on investment sitting at the heart of the debate. And the community is somewhat split on this. 59% believe the team should trade KD this offseason.
This highlights that perceived value remains. While the majority believe the team should trade the 36-year-old star, 41% still see Kevin Durant as part of the Phoenix Suns’ path forward, a sign that a window with both him and Devin Booker still exists.
Then comes the harder, colder question: Will the Suns trade Kevin Durant?
Regardless of where your convictions land on what they should do, what does the franchise’s history, position, and current leadership suggest about what they will do?
78% believe that the team will be moving off of Durant this upcoming offseason. And it’s what makes this one of the most pivotal questions facing the Suns in years.
You’ve weighed in. Now it’s my turn. Yes, I proposed both reasons why and why not to trade him. But where do I actually stand? I’ve used Kevin Durant Week as a methodology to assist in the development of my offseason thesis, and truthfully? I’m no closer to a decision on the subject.
I dedicated a podcast this week, alongside the aforementioned articles, to weighing both sides of this debate, trying to talk myself into one position or the other.
And while we’ll keep exploring different options and potential roster moves for the Phoenix Suns this offseason, this is one decision where I just can’t confidently land on a side. I can’t plant my flag firmly in the “trade Kevin Durant” camp or the “keep him” one either. I genuinely see both sides.
I do believe that, with the right leadership and a clear, disciplined approach, this organization can still build something meaningful around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. The way it should’ve been done before the Beal deal shifted the landscape.
And if there’s a path to move off the Beal contract, which opens up flexibility and restores Phoenix’s status as a desirable destination, I still think there’s some juice left in this orange. Maybe not for the long haul, but enough to squeeze something worthwhile out of these next two seasons.
But I can also see the other side of this. If your priority is to retool, to reshape the roster and reset the foundation, then moving off both Beal and Durant makes sense. You start gathering returns that allow for that shift. After all, Durant’s value isn’t going to climb from here. If anything, this might be the last window to get something meaningful in return before he hits 38 and the market for him all but disappears.
That said, I don’t believe in blowing it up entirely. I’m not in the camp that thinks you tear this thing down to the studs.
And that’s the conundrum. I know plenty of people have already picked their side of the mountain, confidently setting up camp there. But I just can’t. Not yet. Not confidently. So, like the rest of you, I’ll sit with it, I’ll ponder it, and I’ll wait to see what decisions the Phoenix Suns make moving forward, especially when it comes to leadership.
Because ultimately, leadership will have to decide which lane to travel. And whichever direction they choose, it’ll come with its share of pros…and it’ll be littered with cons too. There’s no perfect path here. Just the one you believe gives you the best shot at keeping this thing alive.
And for me? I wish I had the conviction to say I’m confidently pro-trading KD or anti-trading him. What does my opinion matter anyway? I’ll just ride the wave, knowing that no matter what happens, I’ll never have to write an “I told you so” piece around this impending decision. Because me? I’ve told you nothing.
Next week is ’Devin Booker Week,’ and I feel I’ll be able to plant a definitive flag for it.
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