The Phoenix Suns are an organization in transition right now, and owner Mat Ishbia is figuring out the hard way just how difficult it is to build a sustainable winner in The Valley. Trading everything for Kevin Durant might have made sense in the moment – but over two years later and with the franchise going backwards – it is time for a change for both player and team.
Already there have been plenty of rumored suitors for the 36-year-old’s services, although one presumed favorite in the race to trade for him might not be as close to a deal as you think. The more interested parties the better though, as it allows the Suns to push up the price for a player that many view as a one-year rental heading into the 2025-26 season.
Suns simply must get this young center back in any Miami Heat deal.
As is always the case when a star player looks to be on the move, the Miami Heat cannot be ruled out. Although there hasn’t been much in the way of actual news regarding Durant heading to South Beach, we know by this point that Miami often comes out of nowhere to snag a veteran star player and plug them into their “Heat Culture”.
The last time the Suns and Heat were linked was at the trade deadline, when Phoenix tried everything they could to prise Jimmy Butler from them. They were even willing to let Durant go to the Golden State Warriors – a move the player himself had no interest in – with Butler eventually making his way to San Francisco. If Durant does now end up with the Heat, the Suns simply must ask for Kel’el Ware.
The rookie was a real bright spot for the Heat, starting 36-of-64 games played, averaging 9.3 points and 7.4 boards per night. It was on the defensive end where elite upside was shown however – and when Ware was on the court – the Heat gave up only 110.9 points each night.
That is both better than they managed as a team all season – 112.0 and good for 9th in defensive rating – and would have had the Heat just outside the top five on that end of the court. Ware doesn’t deserve all of the credit for those numbers, but if you’ve watched him play then you’ll know he is everything the Suns need to build around for the future.
He already looks like a more interested defensive party than Deandre Ayton ever was, while he’s so much more polished already on both ends of the court than the Suns’ own rookie big man, second round pick Oso Ighodaro. For a fanbase that had to watch Jusuf Nurkic for far too long, Ware is the explosive big that would be amazing next to Devin Booker.
If the Suns could somehow get an above average wing defender from elsewhere too – no easy task given their current financial status – all of a sudden they’d be cooking. That combination could even make Bradley Beal look like a better offensive prospect on any given night, which would be an added bonus as his no-trade clause means he is going nowhere.
Best of all, Ware would be an ideal bridge between the present and future. He would help the Suns right away – and even though they’d still be some way off competing for a championship – there is All-Star upside to his game. It would be some save from Ishbia, having given up the franchise’s entire future in order to secure Durant in the first place.
