The Atlanta Hawks were never in the hunt for polarizing superstar Kevin Durant, a two-time NBA champion, 15-time All-Star, etc. And yet, the Hawks can certainly count themselves among the winners with Durant’s pending trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets.
News of the deal broke just hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Durant’s first pro team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Hawks will not garner headlines for their absence, but they still benefited from the deal.
Their division rival, the Miami Heat, was among the teams linked to a trade for Durant in the days and weeks before the deal. That loomed as potential bad news for the Hawks, who lost their final three meetings against the Heat, including a season-ender in the Play-In Tournament.
Durant has also torched the Hawks in his career, averaging 29.3 points per game on 62.7% true shooting, the fourth and 11th-best marks, respectively, against any team.
He is 21-11 against them in his career.
“The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant's preferred trade destinations out of Phoenix, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported in a post on X on June 14. “Those across the NBA have been made aware in recent days that those are the three teams that Durant would commit to long-term.”
Moreover, the reported cost of the deal is hardly prohibitive for the receiving team, the Rockets, whose title odds will almost certainly receive a considerable boost when the deal is finalized.
That cannot happen until July 6 due to a “poison pill” in Green’s contract.
The Rockets surrendered former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green and two-way agitator Dillon Brooks, plus the No. 10 overall pick and a handful of second-rounders to the Suns for Durant, who is 37 years old and has frequently battled injuries in recent seasons.
Heat offer reveal helps Hawks
The Heat were in hot pursuit of Durant, with Charania also reporting they offered Haywood Highsmith, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, the No. 20 pick, and additional capital on the table.
None of that, in the Suns’ or anyone’s eyes, matched up to what the Rockets offered.
The Hawks got to keep their assets by refraining from (or being left out of) the Durant trade sweepstakes. They also got to see a rival’s hand and, with the additional bonus of seeing them fall short, have a better idea of where they might stand on potential mutual interests.
The Hawks have work to do to catch up to the Heat as things stand, losing each of their last three meetings by at least nine points and surrendering 123-plus points in those contests.
This is a modest victory, but a victory nonetheless, for the Hawks.
That is, of course, unless the Heat somehow feel that Green, who could be on the move again, given the presence of Devin Booker in the Suns’ backcourt, is a good fit with Tyler Herro in their starting lineup.
Things could get interesting then, though the Hawks have shown how difficult it can be to play with two guards who prefer to have the ball.