This fake Kevin Durant trade involving 5 NBA teams somehow makes everyone happy

It’s hard to come up with a good fake Kevin Durant trade, but this five-team blockbuster accomplishes that.

Kevin Durant is the hottest name on the NBA trade market as the league’s trade deadline approaches on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. ET. The latest rumors are connecting Durant to the Golden State Warriors, the team he helped win two NBA championships for in the late 2010s. Durant trade speculation is peaking just as the Suns are running out of time to complete a trade for Jimmy Butler. Putting it all together is going to be a monumental task, but NBA fans are already one step ahead of the game.

This has already been one of the greatest trade deadlines in league history thanks to the shocking Luka Doncic-for-Anthony Davis swap and a spicy three-team deal that sent De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs and Zach LaVine to the Chicago Bulls. The possibility of Durant getting traded adds another future Hall of Famer to trade season.

A potential Durant trade would be a complicated, multi-team deal if it happens. The primary stakeholders all have their own objectives, and satisfying everyone will be difficult. How could this Durant trade come together? NBA podcaster Keith Parish runs the entertaining Fastbreak Breakfast podcast and is an essential follow on NBA Twitter. Parish took a break from Memphis Grizzlies propaganda to put together a really good fake trade that sends Durant to the Warriors, Jimmy Butler to the Suns, and also includes the Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies.

Check out the monster five-team fake trade here, with a full breakdown of why it actually makes some sense.

Here’s the full fake trade:

Phoenix Suns get: Jimmy Butler, 2025 Warriors first-round pick, 2027 Warriors first-round pick

Golden State Warriors get: Kevin Durant, Alec Burks, Wendell Moore

Miami Heat get: Jonathan Kuminga, Marcus Smart, Dennis Schroder, Gary Payton II, 2025 Grizzlies first-round pick

Memphis Grizzlies get: Andrew Wiggins and Josh Richardson

Detroit Pistons get: John Konchar, 2026 Lakers second-round pick via Heat

I’m pretty convinced this trade would help every team involved. Let’s get into it.

Why this fake Kevin Durant to the Warriors trade makes sense

The longest-running trade rumor of the deadline has been the Phoenix Suns’ pursuit of Jimmy Butler. The hang-up there is the trade has to include Bradley Beal to work under the CBA, and Beal is one of two players in the league with a no-trade clause (LeBron James has the other).

This trade lands Butler in Phoenix, but it comes at the cost of Durant. The Suns are reportedly coming to terms with the fact that they might need to trade Durant with their season circling the drain and the veteran star’s contract expiring after next season. The Suns are getting back Butler (who wants to be in Phoenix because they’re willing to pay him on a new contract) plus two first-round picks for Durant, which feels like a good return.

The Warriors get Durant at the cost of Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, and two first-round picks. That’s a lot to give up for 36-year-old Kevin Durant, but Golden State has to do something major or the Steph Curry era is going to end with a whimper. This trade reunites KD with Curry and Draymond Green, and keeps a few promising young players on the roster.

This is a good Butler return for the Heat. Kuminga will need a new contract, but he’s a 22-year-old with a great mix of size and explosiveness who gets a little more productive every year. Smart and Gary Payton II can help Miami’s defense around Tyler Herro right now, and they get a first-round pick back.

The Grizzlies are the best team in this trade, and they add the big wing they’ve been looking for in Wiggins. The Pistons get involved as a cap space team to take on Konchar’s salary. The Pistons actually just used their cap space to take on KJ Martin, which complicates this fake trade, but Parish put it out there before the Martin deal went down.

Who says no to this trade? It’s a lot to give up for Golden State, and perhaps they can try to pull back on first-rounder. Still, this feels like it does a good job of making everyone involved happy.

The trade deadline is around the corner. Get your fake trades in now while you still can.