Phoenix Suns waive 2-way player part of NBA's historic 7-team Kevin Durant trade

The Kevin Durant trade, which involved a historic seven teams and included Daeqwon Plowden joining the Phoenix Suns, is finally complete.

However, league sources informed The Arizona Republic on Sunday, July 6, that the Suns would waive Plowden as he was part of the trade to make the deal work for the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks.

The Suns officially announced the waiving of Plowden in their news release later Sunday afternoon.

A 6-6 guard, Plowden was a two-way player for the Hawks as a rookie out of last season. Undrafted out of Bowling Green, Plowden averaged 7.2 points in the six games he played for Atlanta.

The Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Hawks, Rockets and Suns make up the NBA's first seven-team trade ever.

The Suns traded Durant to the Houston Rockets and acquired Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, which turned out to be Duke freshman 7-footer Khaman Malauch and multiple second-round picks.

Phoenix landed St. Joseph forward Rasheer Fleming and Kentucky wing Koby Brea in the second round of the 2025 draft after separate trades.

The Suns acquired Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal before the 2023 trade deadline. The Suns sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first-round picks to the Nets for T.J. Warren and Durant.

Durant averaged 26.8 points in 145 career games in Phoenix, but as a team, the Suns failed to meet championship expectations that were bestowed upon them when landing the two-time finals MVP and all-time great.

“One of the greatest to ever play the game, we are grateful for the impact Kevin made on our organization and in our community,” Suns general manager Brian Gregory said in a news release on July 6. “As a member of the Suns, he climbed the scoring charts to become just the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points, and we wish him the best as he continues his career in Houston.”

The Durant era ends in Phoenix with the Suns landing Green, Brooks and three rookies in Maluach, Fleming and Brea.

Green averaged 21 points last season in leading the Rockets in scoring and played in all 82 games for a second straight season. The second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, the 6-4 Green started all 307 games he played in four seasons with Houston.

“Jalen is an explosive scorer who has already shown impressive productivity across the board throughout his young career,” Gregory said in the Suns' news release. “His athleticism and natural ability are off the charts. Jalen has already proven his commitment to putting in the work that excellence requires, and we believe that his approach to the game will allow him to further unlock his incredible upside here in Phoenix.”

Oct 16, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Daeqwon Plowden (29) and Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson (16) battle for rebound position in the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Rockets finished the 2024-25 season with the second-best record in the Western Conference. Golden State eliminated Houston in the first round in seven games.

Brooks averaged 14.0 points a game, shooting 39.7% from 3 in 75 games with the Rockets last season. Known for his passionate play and defensive mindset, Brooks has played a key role for the Memphis Grizzlies, which finished second in the West two straight seasons (2021-23).

“Dillon embodies the grit and toughness we value, bringing a fearless mentality to the court,” Gregory said in the Suns' news release. “He consistently plays at an NBA All-Defensive Team level while also positively affecting our offense in a multitude of ways. He will make an immediate impact on our organization.”

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.