An underachieving high lottery pick is on the Phoenix Suns‘ radar in a potential Kevin Durant trade with the Houston Rockets.
According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Suns are interested in Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA draft.
“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,” Iko wrote.
Getty Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns is pressured by Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr. of the Houston Rockets.
The 6-foot-10 Smith was projected to go No. 1 in the draft until the Orlando Magic sprung a surprise and took Paolo Banchero. It’s turning out to be the right move as Smith’s game has yet to pop out that can be called worthy of his high selection.
Over his first three seasons with the Rockets, Smith averaged a decent 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds but just shooting 43.2% from the field and 34.0% from the 3-point line. He’s become an afterthought in Houston with Sengun, Amen Thompson and Green taking more of the spotlight.
In short, Smith is the most expendable player in that group. The Suns are hoping he could blossom in Phoenix in a larger role.
Strong Interest Isn’t Mutual
The Rockets are one of the three preferred destinations of the 15-time All-Star, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
However, the feelings aren’t strongly mutual.
Iko added that the Rockets have “largely been uninterested in breaking up their depth, even for a future Hall of Famer.”
On top of that, the Rockets are wary of Durant’s fit to their young core’s timeline. The Suns star is turning 37 this September with 41,236 minutes logged over 1,123 regular season games in his NBA career.
Durant has missed an average of 26.5 games per season since he returned from his Achilles injury in 2019.
It’s a big blow to the Suns’ bid to relocate Durant after their initial attempt at the trade deadline without his knowledge that strained their relationship.
But Durant can also solve all of the Rockets’ problems — halfcourt scoring, spacing and go-to guy at crunchtime — which was greatly exposed in their first-round loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Veteran point guard Fred VanVleet tried his hardest to fill that role for the Rockets in Games 5 and 6. But he failed in Game 7. Durant would have made a difference against the Warriors, his former team.
Kevin Durant’s Historic Play at His Age
Whether Durant is enough to lift them to title contention, let alone out of the stacked Western Conference Finals, is up for debate.
But while young teams such as the Rockets are wary of Durant’s age and his injury history, his game speaks for itself.
Despite his advanced age, Durant’s game hasn’t diminished. This past season, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games.
According to ESPN research, Durant averaged at least 25 points, 50% shooting and 40% on 3-pointers in the last three straight seasons, the longest streak ever in the NBA. He shot a league-best on jumpers (49.7%) and midrange shots (53.1%) which makes him a best bet to age gracefully in today’s game.
Durant is still one of the game’s elite players. But the cost of trading for him is what keeping the Rockets and other suitors take a pause.
The Suns would love for Durant to stay but with Bradley Beal unwilling to lift his no-trade clause, Durant is their only shot at making significant changes to roster which never worked over the last two seasons.
Suns Targeting Underrated No. 3 Pick in Kevin Durant Trade: Report