Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at 

The offseason is here for 26 teams in the NBA. The conference finals have arrived and there are only four teams left alive with hopes of making it to the ultimate goal of winning a championship. Heading into this offseason, the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Phoenix Suns are all searching for the next steps to take as a franchise, which is different for all three.

Atlanta is going to be a team worth watching. Most will point to a potential Trae Young trade, but that does not appear likely (for now) and Atlanta may move forward with this core of Young, Dyson Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and Onyeka Okongwu. If the Hawks decide to do that, they need to improve their bench in a big way this offseason. Due to the NBA’s CBA and apron rules, you are going to be seeing a lot more three-team trades between teams so salaries can move around. Atlanta could try to attach themselves to a big deal and add some pieces to their bench if they opt to move forward with this starting five. The Hawks need interior defense, frontcourt depth, shooting, and maybe a backup lead guard/ball handler. This is not a great free agent class to be filling those needs, so could the Hawks look to the trade market? NBA insider Marc Stein has already reported that Atlanta could look to be facilitators this summer in the trade market due to their financial flexibility, depending on if the team brings back any of Caris LeVert, Clint Capela, or Larry Nance.

The Lakers are always going to be among the most talked about teams in the league, but that is especially going to be true now that they have Luka Doncic. A lot of the talk is going to be around the Lakers trying to get a center to put around Doncic and LeBron James, which was a clear weakness for them in their postseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but what if they aim to get another star player to pair with James and Doncic? After the Doncic trade, never count the Lakers out of anything.

Phoenix is in perhaps the bleakest situation in the entire NBA. They do not control their own draft picks for the rest of the decade, they are in the dreaded second apron and have little means to improve, and are stuck with the Bradley Beal contract, which has a no-trade clause. It seems like the only way that the Suns can improve their team is if they decide to trade one or both Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, with Durant being the far more likely option. What kind of return would Durant get the Suns given his age and injury history? It is one of the more fascinating questions in the NBA.

So how about a trade where each of these teams tries to fill a need?

It should be noted that this is just a speculative and fun exercise to see what kind of moves can be made, not what I think the Hawks or any other teams should do or will do. That is all.

Hawks Receive: Grayson Allen, Cody Martin, and Jarred Vanderbilt

Lakers Receive: Kevin Durant, Terance Mann, and Nick Richards

Suns Receive: Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Maxi Kleber, Dalton Knecht, Shake Milton, Gabe Vincent, Kobe Bufkin, a 2027 2nd round pick (From ATL, via CLE), a 2029 2nd round pick (From ATL, via CLE), an unprotected 2031 first-round pick (via LAL), and a 2031 2nd round pick (from ATL, via CLE)

Why the Hawks do this deal: They add quality depth and fill needs. Vanderbilt is a defensive specialist that can give the Hawks better frontcourt depth, which they missed last year, Allen is one of the best shooters in the NBA and gives the Hawks more spacing, and Martin gives them more wings. They stay under the luxury tax, build better depth, and keep their first round picks.

Why the Hawks don’t do this deal: While the depth might be better, there are drawbacks to each player. Vanderbilt is a near zero on offense, Allen is a target for other teams on defense, and Martin is just ok. Do the Hawks want to move off of Bufkin already?

Why the Lakers do this deal: They want to make a big move to maximize the window with LeBron James. While the Lakers have other needs, Durant would fill in seamlessly and would have plenty of scoring opportunities on the floor with Doncic and James, while also helping their defense. In a very tough Western Confernece, the Lakers can’t really afford to stay pat. Richards gives them another body at center and Mann is a wing player that can fill the voids on the bench. The Lakers are still under both aprons and can make other moves to improve their roster. While trading both Reaves and a first round pick might seem like too much for an older Durant, Reaves had a rough postseason and might be too much of a liability on defense to pair long-term with Doncic, not to mention he is due a contract extension. Durant gives them more of a two-way threat.

Why the Lakers don’t do this deal: That is a lot of assets for Durant, who is older and has an injury history. The Lakers might move their picks and Reaves for the right deal, but what would that be? They would need to fill out their bench and their depth takes a hit.

Why the Suns do this: This is likely the best possible deal they could get for Durant. Reaves can pair with Booker in the backcourt and they get a 2031 1st. They get under the second apron and would get even more relief when Vincent, Hachimura, and Kleber’s contracts expire after the season. Moving off of Allen clears more salary for the future. Dalton Knecht and Kobe Bufkin are talented young players and Phoenix does not have a lot of young talent. They can either keep the second-round picks or flip them for another rotation player.

Why the Suns don’t do this deal: They don’t value Reaves and his fit with Booker. They may look to get more draft compensation from another team. They would have a huge hole at center and Bradley Beal is still on the roster.