On March 22, Beijing time, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated said in an exchange with fans that he believes Durant will part ways with the Suns this summer and eventually join the Rockets. He also pointed out that the Suns would be wisest to put Booker on the shelf and rebuild it completely.

Mannix started by talking about his thoughts on the boss of the Sun. "I appreciate the enterprising spirit of Ishbia. From the day he took over the team, he has been putting it into action and investing money. But nothing can change the status quo without a full rebuild. It's like using a band-aid to treat a gunshot wound, but it won't help. In the next two to three years, the Suns won't be able to make any trade that would put them among the powerhouses in the Western Conference. ”

Subsequently, Mannix mentioned Durant. "It's no secret that the Suns will part ways with Durant this summer. Durant has one year left on his contract, and even at almost 37 years old, he's still worth a lot. I think — and that's just my personal opinion — that Durant will eventually join the Rockets. I think if the Rockets had wanted Durant before the trade deadline, the deal would have been done a long time ago. Durant has a lot of respect for Udoka, and in Houston, he could be the missing piece of the puzzle for a championship-contending team. At the end of the season, this is something to watch. ”

As for Booker, Mannix also gave his own analysis. "The biggest problem is Booker. If you believe Ishbia, Booker is not for sale. But I don't think so. The Suns' contract control of Booker continues into the 2027-28 season, so there's no rush. But Booker is 28 years old, and he's a top scorer. His trade value will peak this summer. If you trade Durant away, keep Booker...... And then what? The Suns don't have enough draft assets to pull off a blockbuster trade. If you think about it, what's the point of having Booker return to a team that's likely to be in contention for a lottery pick in his 29-year-old season? ”

"In my opinion, the smartest thing for the Suns would do would be to put Booker on the shelf. There will definitely be a bidding war at that time. The Rockets, who have plenty of future draft picks with the Suns, want him. The Pistons may also be interested. The same can be said for the Thunder, who can even make attractive offers. ”

'I understand that the rebuilding is painful, at least for a couple of years there was low attendance and a bad record. But look at the teams that are now at the top of the league. From 2018-19 to 2020-21, the Cavaliers never won more than 22 games. The Thunder also won just 24 games three seasons ago. The Rockets were even worse in their first two seasons. The process of rebuilding was painful, but it worked. ”

So far this season, the Suns are 33-37, temporarily ranked 10th in the West.