When I caught up with Booker in late November, I highlighted all the tumult that had enveloped these Suns both on and off the court back then. These interviews have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity. I spoke with his new co-stars last week to get a sense of how they see his situation. If the 34-year-old Durant could lead the Suns (40-35 fourth in the West) to the franchise’s first title, and his third, under these sorts of wild circumstances, it would add to his already-elite legacy while setting the stage for more dominance to come (he’s under contract through the 2025-26 season).Īnd to hear Booker and Paul tell it, that’s the plan for all involved. Next thing you know, with usual Suns suspects like Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton projecting confidence as the postseason nears, we have ourselves an unprecedented hoops experiment to enjoy in these coming weeks. There was the MCL sprain that cost him six weeks and delayed his Phoenix debut, and then the ankle injury he suffered after just three games with the Suns. This challenge, with Durant and these Suns restarting their paused partnership on the eve of the playoffs, is in a class all its own because of Durant’s injuries. Those Sixers weren’t as accomplished as these Suns, either in terms of recent regular season records or playoff performance. And truth be told, it’s not that close at all. When it comes to historical comparisons to this Durant situation, the Chamberlain scenario – an all-time great traded midseason while still playing at an MVP-caliber level – is about as close as it gets. The Sixers were stopped by Bill Russell’s Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals (the second of three rounds) in seven games, the last of which ended with the famous “Havlicek stole the ball!” moment. Come playoff time, his individual greatness (29.3 points and 27.2 rebounds per) just wasn’t enough. He played 35 regular season games for the Sixers, averaging 30.1 points and 22.3 rebounds along the way, though Philadelphia went just 18-17 down the stretch. In mid-January 1965, back when Chamberlain was sitting on a streak of five consecutive seasons as the league’s scoring champ, the then-28-year-old was sent from the San Francisco Warriors to a Philadelphia 76ers squad that was 21-21 at the time. Let’s get back to ‘The Big Dipper’ here, though. They lost in six that season, but went on to win the next two titles. 1, 2008, Gasol – whose acquisition eased the tension that had come with Kobe Bryant’s trade request the summer before – helped the Lakers reach the Finals against Boston. Pau Gasol didn’t win a title in his first season with the Lakers, but he gets a hat tip here for getting close.Rasheed Wallace, the four-time All-Star who was sent from Portland to Detroit (via Atlanta) in mid-February, played 22 regular season games with the Pistons, then showcased his two-way talents in their 23-game postseason title run (Wallace had been traded to the Hawks just 10 days before the Pistons deal and played just one game with the Hawks).(They remain the lowest seed ever to win it all.)
Clyde Drexler, the 10-time All-Star who was sent from Portland to Houston in mid-February 1995, played 35 regular season games with the sixth-seeded Rockets and was his special self in their 22-game postseason run to the title.Mark Aguirre, the three-time All-Star who was traded from Dallas to Detroit in mid-February of 1989, logged 32 regular season games with the Pistons and played well in their dominant title run (a 15-2 playoff record in sum).1 with their new team is widely considered to be just three(ish) names long… But the list of high-profile players who pulled it off in Year No. Maybe it’s because chemistry can’t develop that quickly, or perhaps it’s just an anomaly. Midseason NBA trades don’t typically spark championship runs in that first go-round together. If peak Wilt Chamberlain couldn’t do it, can Kevin Durant?Īs the Phoenix Suns welcome their new star (again) Wednesday in a home game against Minnesota, and with the NBA playoffs fewer than three weeks away, that question is front and center.
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