Mike Budenholzer’s firing is just the beginning of the sandstorm about to hit Phoenix this offseason — and only one of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant is expected to survive.
“From a grand perspective, it’s about Devin Booker and where [he stands] in all this,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Monday. “From my understanding, he remains a foundation of everything they’re doing in Phoenix, everything else, though, has been up for discussion with the Suns except for Devin Booker.”
Reporting for NBA Today on the futures of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Suns after Mike Budenholzer became the third coach fired in three years: pic.twitter.com/m4FfW3K7wI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 14, 2025
The “everything else” that Charania spoke of on ESPN’s “NBA Today?”
Well, that part pertains to Durant.
He expects multiple major roster changes in Phoenix that are going to start with Kevin Durant.
“I’m told the Suns and Durant, as well as his business partner Rich Kleiman, will be working together on his next trade home,” Charania reported.
Phoenix’s other max-contract player, such as 31-year-old Bradley Beal, was not mentioned. He brings a whole other dilemma with his no-trade clause and subpar play. Beal averaged 17 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
Trade rumors surrounding Durant swirled throughout the entire season as the Suns struggled before finishing 36-46 and missing the play-in tournament.
“For the team with the highest payroll in the NBA, it’s clear that the ownership there, Mat Ishbia, he’s put all his resources, all his money into this group,” Charania said. “But now, moving forward, they have major decisions to make.”
If Durant were to be traded, it would be the fifth different team of the 36-year-old’s career.
He spent nine seasons with the Thunder, including his rookie season when the franchise was still the Seattle Supersonics, three seasons with the Warriors and about two-and-a-half seasons each with the Nets and the Suns.
Where could he be headed this time?
“A lot of that will [be determined] by the playoffs and which team feels like they are a Kevin Durant away from winning a championship,” Charania said.
As for Booker, he’s primed to see yet another new head coach come through Phoenix, assuming he stays put.
In the 28-year-old’s 10 NBA seasons, he’s had a whopping seven different head coaches. Only one of them coached Booker for more than just one season. Monty Williams is the lone exception, as he was with the franchise from 2019-2023 and helped take Phoenix to the NBA Finals.