And yet, the deal still underwhelmed. Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 pick represent only a fraction of the value that the Suns paid to get Durant in 2023, and do little to launch the rebuild the Suns needed. This raises a few important questions surrounding the negotiations, starting with why Phoenix would even take so little.

Over the past few weeks, the Phoenix Suns have been at the center of the NBA rumor mill. Kevin Durant's name has been mentioned in most of those rumors, with many teams across the NBA having interest in acquiring him from the Suns.