Projected Suns starting lineup after the Kevin Durant trade

The Suns roster looks substantially different after the Kevin Durant trade with the Nets. What will the starting lineup look like now?

If a Kevin Durant trade was going to happen, the team that kept popping up as an interested party that made a ton of sense was the Phoenix Suns. It’s rare those blockbusters ever come to fruition, though. Durant was the exception. Late on Wednesday night, the Suns and the Brooklyn Nets agreed on a stunning trade that will send the 13-time All-Star to Phoenix.

To make the trade happen, the Suns had to give up a monster haul to the Nets, a package that included Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap.

But now Durant is on the Suns and the push to bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy to the desert is on in droves.

Of course, Durant hasn’t played since Jan. 8 with an MCL sprain. On top of that Devin Booker just returned to the lineup on Tuesday night. Whenever they are both back to full health, though, it’s worth looking at the new Suns roster and seeing what their starting lineup could look like.

Suns roster: Projected starting lineup after Kevin Durant trade

• G: Chris Paul
• G: Devin Booker
• F: T.J. Warren
• F: Kevin Durant
• C: Deandre Ayton

There are at least four spots in the Phoenix starting lineup that are pretty much set in stone once Durant is able to take the floor again. The incoming former MVP, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton aren’t going anywhere in the starting-five.

With that said, the other forward spot with Durant is going to be up for debate. There’s a statement toward stability for having Torrey Craig slot into that role. However, with the Suns getting Warren in this deal, it feels like we could see him take that spot, at least initially, to see what Phoenix in this new look operates like.

What we can say for sure, though, is that the Suns will be better by their next game than they were on Wednesday night — or at least whenever Durant plays again.