Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
One of the more surprising developments over the last couple of months has been the mediocrity of the Denver Nuggets. For a team with as talented of a roster as they have, I'm not sure there were many who believed the Nuggets would take this much of a step back after winning an NBA Championship just two years ago. Nevertheless, while the Nuggets are not terrible, they do have some mediocrity in them so far this season. At this rate, they'll have to make a big move at the NBA Trade Deadline if they want to reemerge as a legit contender in the West this year.
Interestingly enough, if the Nuggets do make a splash move at the trade deadline, it will almost certainly include trading away Michael Porter Jr. That's why, at least in part, I predict that the Nuggets will pull the trigger and trade MPJ at some point during the 2025 calendar year. MPJ is a good player but his value isn't fully utilized in Denver. A trade at this point in his career could benefit MPJ as much as it may Denver.
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
Whether they want to blame injuries or their overall lack of depth, it's pretty clear that the Phoenix Suns have been one big disaster this season. Things could certainly change down the stretch but it would be somewhat foolish to expect that to happen at this point. If this season does end how many expect it to for the Suns, it's fair to suggest that there could be some major changes on the horizon for the team. And if the Suns are going to blow up their roster this year, trading Kevin Durant is probably the easiest way to accomplish that.
Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause and it's going to be almost impossible for the Suns to get him to waive it. It would be extremely foolish for the Suns to trade Devin Booker at this point. That leaves KD as the only realistic way the Suns could successfully retool their roster on the fly. That's why I believe that after another likely disappointing end to this year, the Suns will move to trade KD during the offseason. The Suns will try to get back some assets in hopes of retooling around Booker moving forward.