Getty Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Los Angeles Lakers
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest basketball players to grace the NBA with his presence. But despite his other-worldly talent, Durant has no issue embracing his fans (and haters) by exchanging in Twitter banter. On June 22, The Phoenix Suns’ superstar entered the Legend of Winning Twitter space after one fan called him out for the lack of criticism he receives for his playoff blunders compared to other players, such as Lakers star Anthony Davis.
Amid the conversation, several speakers in the space began to question Davis’s defense because of how well Nikola Jokic performed in the Lakers’ series against the Denver Nuggets. Durant did not hesitate to come to the Laker big man’s defense.
“To question Anthony Davis’s defensive prowess is insane,” Durant said in the space. “Every series is going to be different. One guy will have a great series before and next, are they good players at the end of the day?”
Could Chris Paul Reunite With Suns
For those who may be tardy to the party, the Suns traded Chris Paul to the Washington Wizards in a deal that landed them All-Star guard Bradley Beal ahead of the NBA Draft. On NBA Draft night, the Wizards traded Paul to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for their star guard Jordan Poole. Per Chris B. Haynes of Bleacher Report, the Warriors intend to keep the All-Star guard this season.
Golden State will not waive Chris Paul and is looking forward to partnering with the star to make a championship run, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
But the NBA is ever-changing, and with the free agency period just days away, the Warriors could have a change of heart. If Golden State decides to move on, John Voita of SB Nation believes a reunion between Paul and the Suns is a viable option.
“What is unique about this transaction as it relates to the Suns is it opens the door for the possibility of Chris Paul potentially returning to the Valley. The way it works is simple: if a team trades a player, and then that player is waived, they cannot return to the team that traded him. The “reacquisition rule” prevents teams from doing this. This rule is intended to prohibit teams from bypassing salary cap laws by trading a player to another team and then signing him to a new deal right away,” Voita writes.
“There is a loophole, however, and that is if that player is traded again then waived. In July 2016 the Warriors traded Andrew Bogut to the Mavericks, and in February 2017 the Mavericks traded Bogut to the Sixers, who waived him. Because of the two trades, Bogut could have resigned with the Warriors. If the Golden State Warriors did this move simply in an effort to salary dump Jordan Poole’s contract, and if they choose to waive Chris Paul, he could return to the Suns”
Suns Entering Critical Free Agency Period
In exactly one week, the free agency period will begin. And although the Suns have done the bulk of their heavy lifting throughout the season after acquiring Beal and Durant, there is still work to be done by their front office.
After trading Paul, the Suns do not have a true starting point guard, which won’t bode well as they have three volume shooters who are not particularly known for their playmaking ability. And the only point guards they have under contract for next season are Cameron Payne and Jordan Goodwin.
They also have decisions to make on key free agents this summer including Josh Okogie, Torrey Craig, and Terrence Ross. It will be interesting to see what additional moves they make.