Lakers Involvement in Kevin Durant Trade Confirmed as 2 Suns Stars Face Uncertain Future

Did you think we’d be getting a blockbuster trade sequel this soon? Well, here we are. And no, it’s not a rerun of the Luka Doncic draft night stunner—some things are too wild to happen twice. But what we are seeing echoes a recent masterstroke: the Celtics’ Jrue Holiday heist after the Dame deal, which ultimately helped them clinch Banner 18. So now, with Kevin Durant on the brink of another move, the big question is—can the Lakers pull a similar rabbit out of the hat?

Boston pounced when the opportunity arose, flipping Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, and two firsts to grab Holiday. That chess move turned out to be championship-defining. Now, the Lakers are watching closely. While KD-to-LA might not be a mirror image of Holiday-to-Boston, the idea is the same: stay reactive, stay ready. National insider Jovan Buha just weighed in on where the Lakers stand in the KD sweepstakes—and let’s just say, the wheels might already be turning in LA.

“There’s going to be players that shake loose and we’ve seen it like, I think Boston took the best advantage of it in recent memory with Jrue Holiday becoming available because of the Damian Lillard trade and that situation. So I think for the Lakers, you—I believe in in general and being more proactive than reactive with the summer transactions. And I think the Lakers have honestly been a bit too reactive to the point of almost being a bit passive and they have not been as proactive as they should have been the last couple. I would even contend three summers,” said Jovan Buha on his YouTube.

Insiders describe a Kevin Durant trade as “frequently…inevitable”. Interesting choice of words for sure. Nearly every team is somehow linked to the Grim Reaper. And why not? Don’t let the age fool you – even at 36, the man can do no wrong. He won’t be cheap, but the Suns will doomed regardless. It’s not just that their best player might be up for grabs. That Lillard-Holiday masterclass by the Celtics might give the Lakers some inspiration to exploit Phoenix.

Could LA look at Royce O’Neale or Nick Richards from Suns when Kevin Durant moves?

Three years in a row, the word of the trade window for the Lakers is “proactivity”. It’s not the worst, but everything must be in a balance. The stature of the organization might just give them an opportunity for anyone they demand. It’s upto them to capitalize. In practice, if Phoenix begins unloading talent, the Lakers (who have playoff windows to maximize) could benefit by scooping up pros like O’Neale or Richards.

O’Neale’s 24-25 season saw him with a career-best 40.6% from three. He’s a proven 3-and-D forward while also adding spacing and perimeter defense. It’s that two-way ability that makes this reminiscent of Holiday. Richards is an athletic young center whose expiring $5,000,000 contract is trade‑friendly. Are they blockbuster players? No. But the Lakers need to find the opportunities when they can. Will both fit? That’s a totally different conversation.

“There’s some interesting pieces there of is a Nick Richards available is a Royce O’Neale available. Can you go pick one of those guys off of Phoenix and add them to your rotation. Nick Richards, think is more of a backup center than a starting center. So I’m not advocating him to be like the starting center, but I think you need to be more, you need to be reactive. And then the second that opportunity comes, you need to be proactive and pounce on it and go execute it,” said Buha on the channel.

It’s crazy how one Kevin Durant trade shakes the whole league. We aren’t just talking Lakers either. If a three-team deal brings either Royce O’Neale or a Nick Richards to their depth. Can you imagine the Lakers with some solid defensive depth, and Luka Doncic and LeBron James? Championship contenders.