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Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards recently revealed why Phoenix Suns small forward Kevin Durant is his favorite player in the NBA.
Edwards said he’s so fond of Durant because the Suns star “reminds me of myself.”
Durant is one of the greatest players in NBA history. He has career averages of 27.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists and has won two championships, two Finals MVPs, one regular-season MVP and four scoring titles.
A future Hall of Famer, Durant has made 13 All-Star teams and 10 All-NBA teams. He’s fourth in NBA history in points per game and 13th in points.
Edwards has established himself as one of the best young players in the NBA. He has career averages of 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. The 22-year-old made his first All-Star team in 2023 and he will likely play in several more All-Star Games in the future.
Proposed Blockbuster Trade Sends Suns’ Deandre Ayton for $109 Million All-Star
A blockbuster trade proposal has the Suns acquiring one of the top small forwards in the NBA.
On August 15, Lee Tran of Fadeaway World proposed the following trade between the Suns and Golden State Warriors:
Golden State Warriors Receive: Deandre Ayton
Phoenix Suns Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Kevon Looney, Moses Moody
Wiggins appeared in 37 games for the Warriors last season. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field, 39.6% from beyond the arc and 61.1% from the free-throw line.
Wiggins helped the Warriors win the 2022 championship over the Boston Celtics in six games. He was rewarded with a lucrative four-year, $109 million extension in October 2022. The one-time All-Star swingman will earn $24.3 million next season.
The 28-year-old Wiggins has career averages of 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists with the Timberwolves and Warriors. He won the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year Award with Minnesota.
“Overall, this trade gives the Phoenix Suns three quality players to round out their roster and add depth,” Tran wrote. “Though DeAndre Ayton is a good player, splitting him into multiple players to create a more balanced roster is more conducive to winning a championship than staying top-heavy. The Suns are an older roster, and depth is key to being able to withstand injuries to key players. This trade could be the move that vaults the Phoenix Suns over the opposition in the West, and though moving Ayton is a risk, in this case, it is absolutely warranted.”
Reason Revealed for Why Suns Haven’t Traded Deandre Ayton Yet
The Suns haven’t traded Ayton yet because “there is no viable trade right now turning Ayton into the kinds of players (or picks) that would maintain or boost the Suns’ title odds,” according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.
The Suns discussed Ayton trades with the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers but wound up keeping the former No. 1 overall pick and trading Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards for Bradley Beal instead.
Ayton averaged 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists last season for the Suns while shooting 58.9% from the floor and 76.0% from the free-throw line. The Arizona product recorded 36 double-doubles in 67 games.
However, Ayton’s level of play declined in the 2023 playoffs. The center averaged 13.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in 10 games against the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets.
Ayton put up 10.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in the Nuggets series and didn’t record a positive plus-minus rating in any contest.
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