Kevin Garnett Flips Devin Booker’s Suns Betrayal, Urges Kevin Durant to Join EC Giant to Save Legacy

Kevin Durant’s love-hate relationship with the NBA playoffs continues. After suffering a humiliating 4-0 series sweep by the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves team, the Phoenix Suns and Durant appear destined to part ways. However, this seems to be a recurring pattern: KD joins a team, the team underperforms in the postseason, and Durant starts eyeing other opportunities elsewhere. So, what could be his next move?

Despite being 35 years old, Kevin Durant remains one of the best players in the league. But with that tag come expectations of success and titles. However, on this front, KD has failed to hold his end of the bargain. Since parting ways with the Golden State Warriors, Durant has failed to even come close to the NBA championship. The script repeated this season too, as he, along with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, failed to get past the first round.

The Suns’ poor showings in the playoffs have given rise to speculations about KD’s future. The New York Knicks have emerged as an interesting contender for KD’s signature. And Celtics icon Kevin Garnett has urged Durant to join the Eastern Conference powerhouse. During the latest episode of All the Smoke podcast, KG said, “Him (KD) back in New York, I think would just give New York another level.” However, his co-host, Paul Pierce, interjected and stated that KD wasn’t a good fit for the Knicks. To which KG replied by saying, “It don’t matter. It just him in New York. When the Knicks are cracking, man the whole league cracking.”

Kevin Durant isn’t the only Suns player who’s linked to the Knicks. According to Stephen A. Smith, Devin Booker has his eyes set on playing for the Knicks. Having said that, no other credible sources have backed Smith’s claims. However, a move for KD seems more plausible.

Kevin Durant and his uncertain future with the Suns

Following their first-round exit, the Phoenix Suns are caught in a compromising position. Their “big three” experiment with Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker has failed miserably. As a result, the Suns might look to shuffle the roster. But the problem is, they would have limited maneuverability, considering their absurdly high payroll. In the 2023–24 season, the Suns had the third-largest payroll for the 2023–24 season, totaling $193,838,882.

However, things only get worse from here on. At the moment, Phoenix would have the highest payroll in the NBA for the 2024–25 season, amounting to $205,893,18. The Suns are already above the second apron for the 2024–25 season. And falling above the second apron would greatly affect the Suns’ ability to pull off blockbuster trades, as aggregating player salaries would not be permitted under the new rules. Furthermore, they would be barred from using any pre-existing trade exceptions.

Due to their high payroll, the Suns could be forced to trade one of their three stars. Beal has a no-trade clause within his contract and Booker is the homegrown star of Phoenix. So that leaves the Suns with only one choice: trade Kevin Durant. This move might appear desperate, but that’s the only way the Suns could improve. Multiple teams, like the Knicks and the Heat, are interested in KD. So what could be his next destination?