The Phoenix Suns finally chose to make a move in the off-season. Mat Ishbia & Co. remained a mere spectator for a while. In fact, they didn’t have any option as the plunge over the second apron restricted them from doing anything. Moreover, this grave financial strain even put Kevin Durant on the spot and almost dropped the curtains on his stay. However, the latest $16 million transaction could ease the franchise’s struggles a bit.

The latest news from the trade city revealed that the Suns re-signed Josh Okogie for the second time in two years. Shams Charania reported that they’ve inked a two-year $16 million contract with the free agent. While Josh Okogie’s trade may seem like a further financial burden on the side, the team has a minor upside with this move.

It’s important to understand the root cause before batting an eye on the Okogie situation.

Firstly, the Suns took a huge financial risk last year to form the Big Three, which left them to pay at least $150 million for the trio in the coming season while $190 million was the threshold for the second apron!

The team had no options left other than spilling over the bracket. But, it comes with its own restrictions that can strangle a team during the off-season. One of the important restrictions is that they cannot aggregate contracts to make a trade. The only way to trade is to find a player with the same matching contract, which is almost impossible. Moreover, it’s that the contract is unguaranteed in the second year, which will enable the team to trade Okogie with ease if they want to.

Mat Ishbia is trying to work things out with the massive financial burden. Currently, the team has a projected payroll of $420 million (approx.) with $223 million in salaries only and $198 million in tax. Whether the Okogie deal helps the team from a basketball perspective or not, only one other question comes to mind.

Will this move convince Kevin Durant to stay?

Kevin Durant made no mistake. The 2x NBA Champ averaged 27.1 PPG with 5 assists and 6.6 rebounds last season. While it’s more than what he produced during his 3-year stint with the Warriors, he couldn’t make it past the playoffs’ first round. Notably, the Twolves swept the Suns with a 0-4 whitewash. Despite the formation of the Big 3 involving Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and KD the team couldn’t make much of a difference on the court.

It was a shocking turn in fortunes because Durant and Booker, combined, averaged a staggering 54.3 ppg. in the same series. However, they received no support from the rest of the squad. Soon after crashing out, a report after the Suns’ postseason exit revealed KD’s growing displeasure. Even Stephen A. Smith highlighted it, saying, “Hey say that he went more than a month without talking to the head coach. They say that he does not look happy there…You gotta disband this group.” 

Nevertheless, days have passed since this report was released and the NBA world didn’t witness any trade move in the off-season as well. So on the surface level, KD doesn’t seem to want to leave the franchise. On top of it, the future trade flexibility with Josh Okogie may help the side find a better roster around Durant. Until then, KD is still a Suns superstar.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.