Kevin Durant Trade Can Directly Benefit Wizards

Another Kevin Durant trade saga has come and gone, and though the Washington Wizards have yet to be graced by the Hall of Famer's presence, they may be directly influenced by his most recent change of scenery.

The 15x All-Star was dealt from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, marking the fourth time the scoring legend has switched NBA teams. The dramatic trade arrives on the heels of another unhappy year in Phoenix, as he was unable to help guide the Suns back into contention with an uninspiring roster before mutually agreeing to part ways with the team following this past season.

Durant, a product of the DMV area, has never played for the Wizards during his 17-year odyssey across the league, nor has he ever even flirted with suiting up for his hometown team. Still, the Wizards and their stash of draft picks depend on the Suns' future success, as they own the rights to a first round pick swap next season as part of the Bradley Beal trade return, along with similar claims to look forward to through much of the rest of the decade.

Granted, the Wizards will need to have a top-eight pick for the pick to become swap eligible, but it's nearly guaranteed that they'll be about as bad next season as they have been over these last two rebuilding years, and they still ended up with No. 6 this summer after their most recent lottery reveal fiasco.

The Suns didn't even make the Play-In tournament, let alone the playoffs, last season with Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and some assorted parts, and shouldn't get much better after dealing the veteran forward. Their return for Durant was never going to catch many eyes, as Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and various draft picks likely won't go far in helping Phoenix make an instant jump in the standings.

The Wizards are preparing for another strategic tank job in 2025-26. If they're lucky, the Suns will be similarly unimpressive in the much more talented Western Conference to provide them with the best chance at a top pick in next year's draft.