Nuggets Could be Sleeper Team for Suns Star

A month has passed since the 2024-25 season came to a merciful end for the Phoenix Suns.

The NBA playoffs rage on nonetheless - and potential suitors in a trade involving Kevin Durant have experienced mixed results.

The Houston Rockets were eliminated in the first round of the postseason, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks look poised to advance to their respective conference finals.

One franchise that hasn't been mentioned as a potential suitor for Durant's services?

The Denver Nuggets.

Denver shocked the NBA world by taking a series lead over the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder - OKC has responded by winning two consecutive contests and is now on the brink of eliminating Nikola Jokic and company.

The Nuggets could be in store for significant changes this offseason, as Michael Porter Jr. has thoroughly disappointed in the majority of this run. The prospects the franchise currently hold have been underwhelming - save for Christian Braun.

The ultimate moral of the Nuggets' story is they must find ways to maximize the remainder of Jokic's prime.

That's where Durant factors in.

Denver could be drawn to a Durant/Jokic pairing - as there's no guarantee the franchise center will decide to elongate his playing career beyond the next several seasons.

Questions remain if Murray, Porter Jr. and the remainder of the supporting cast is enough to win a title after the likelihood that a second-round exit fate awaits the organization for a second consecutive year.

Now, the Suns enter the equation.

Would Brian Gregory (Phoenix's general manager) be intrigued by a package that involves either Murray or Porter Jr. as a salary match, Braun as the youthful talent with upside, a potential flier piece such as Julian Strawther, and draft capital?

The answer likely isn't clear-cut. There are certainly franchises such as the Rockets or Spurs that could offer a stronger trade package all-around, but the actual interest in parting with invaluable assets for a soon-to-be 37 year-old player could be too steep of an ask.

The Giannis Antetokounmpo factor is another massive one - a league-wide hold-up for other moves is almost certain if the franchise player of the Milwaukee Bucks decides to request a trade.

That could result in the Suns having to play a waiting game to engage in talks surrounding Durant, and it could also impact the value they get back in return, as well as the number of suitors involved - as many of the franchises linked to Durant/Antetokounmpo overlap.

Ultimately, Durant and Jokic would surely pose a massive threat to the rest of the league. Denver is giving the 68-win Thunder all they can handle with a core that is currently believed to be maxed out around the arguable best player in the world.

The question remains if the Suns could receive a stronger trade offer, if Durant is truly interested in making a move to Denver, and the potential fallout of Antetokounmpo's eventual decision.

Buckle up, Suns fans.