That's part of the reason Bradley Beal accepted a buyout from the Suns before signing a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers this week. Had a Durant trade to Minnesota gone through, there would've been a spot in the lineup for Beal next season alongside Devin Booker, and Phoenix would've likely kept him on its roster.

Jalen Green didn’t want to be traded away from the Rockets in the deal that brought All-Star forward Kevin Durant to Houston. But the 23-year-old, drafted at No. 2 overall in the 2021 first round and now a starting guard for the Phoenix Suns, does understand it.