Jayson Tatum's Devastating Injury Could Spell Doom for Phoenix Suns' Offseason Plans
The Boston Celtics, after entering the NBA season as favorites to repeat as title winners, suffered a brutal injury to their best player. In Game 4 against the New York Knicks, superstar Jayson Tatum went down with an injury, later revealed to be a torn Achilles.
With the possibility of him missing an entire season very real, now is the expected time for the Celtics to shed some salary and trade away one of their more expensive players, ducking the luxury tax and second apron.
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If Boston puts players like Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, or Derrick White on the trade block, it could ruin the Phoenix Suns' offseason plans.
Mar 14, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) controls the ball while Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and center Al Horford (42) defend during the first half at TD Garden.© Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Ever since the Suns' season went off the rails, trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets has been the most logical course of action. Houston has young players and draft picks that the Suns would covet, and Durant would fit in well with Houston's current roster.
However, Holiday, White, and Brown would also fit in well in Houston, and Ime Udoka had success with White and Brown during his lone season with the Celtics.
The Rockets have also been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, although now that the San Antonio Spurs can build a trade package built around the second overall pick, they are the frontrunners to land the Greek Freak.
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Durant is an elite player, but the Rockets seem to value hard-nosed, two-way players with a track record of buying into team culture. Durant, simply, has not been able to do that during his career, and White, Brown, and Holiday are all better fits, with White and Holiday likely being cheaper for Houston to acquire.
Check out the Inside the Suns homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.
Related: Lottery Dependent Mock Trade Jumpstarts Suns' Rebuild and Holds Them Back for Three Seasons
Related: Kevin Durant Trade Rumors Spark After Draft Lottery Shakeup
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