With non-playoff teams like the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs getting enormous luck at the NBA Draft Lottery, navigating through the Western Conference is bound to be a tough task for the Golden State Warriors next season.
One of those non-playoff teams whose future still looks pessimistic is the Phoenix Suns, with the potential of the Warriors benefiting from a baffling decision the pacific rival could make on former Finals MVP Kevin Durant.
The Suns could keep Kevin Durant going into the final year of his contract
Golden State, of course, wanted to reunite with Durant prior to February's mid-season deadline, only for the move to be blocked by the veteran forward which ultimately led to the franchise-altering Jimmy Butler trade.
Since then it's been widely reported that Durant will become available again this offseason and that he'll ultimately depart the Suns, though that's not an absolute guarantee according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line on Wednesday.
"It has been widely anticipated that Durant, who turns 37 in September, will be back on the trade market this summer in the wake of the Suns' myriad trade explorations involving No. 35 leading up to February's in-season trade deadline," Fischer wrote. "A return to the desert next season, though, has not been fully ruled out. Not yet."
This is good news for the Warriors. The absolute last thing they should want is Durant to be traded to a rival team (particularly in the West) who all of a sudden becomes a far more difficult proposition to face.
The best outcome might be Durant sticking in Phoenix alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. While that trio may still hold some firepower, the team's lack of flexibility means it will be incredibly difficult to upgrade the roster.
Why therefore would next season be any different to this one? Because they'll be bringing in a new head coach? They already tried that when they fired Frank Vogel after one season to bring in Mike Budenholzer, only to turn around and move on from him after one year as well.
Phoenix should be doing all they can to cash in on Durant while they still can, particularly given he only has one year left on his contract and could leave for nothing as a free agent next offseason. The further the Suns cling on to hope of turning things around with the 36-year-old, the more they'll likely fall further into the mire which is good for the Warriors and others.