When it comes to on-court action, the NBA Finals has more than delivered.
But with no disrespect to the Oklahoma City Thunder or Indiana Pacers, plenty of basketball fans enjoy off-court intrigue just as much, if not more. Which is why the rumour mill has been steadily spinning each day while the 28 other teams get a head start on their summer plans.
And although the buzz surrounding a potential blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade was squashed for the time being, the noise surrounding another superstar in Kevin Durant has only ratcheted up.
The Phoenix Suns‘ desire to move the former MVP — owed $55 million next season and entering the final year of his deal — might be the worst-kept secret in the league right now.
All the while, the 36-year-old appears on board for a possible departure from The Valley, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that Durant is exploring trade scenarios and the two sides are expected to work together on a potential deal.
Charania went on to specify a couple teams that have expressed interest, while noting there are also “wild-card suitors” looking to add the 15-time all-star — fresh off averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 52.7/43.0/83.9 per cent shooting splits through 62 regular-season appearances — and that trade talks will likely escalate in advance of the NBA Draft on June 25.
With all that being said, here are seven potential trade destinations for Durant.
The first of five teams mentioned by Charania (in no particular order), Houston makes a ton of sense as a trade partner for both Phoenix and Durant.
Not only do the Rockets have enough future capital — seven available first rounders, two of which are ironically via Phoenix (including this year’s No. 10 pick) — to help the Suns replenish their barren war chest, but they could also add in one of their budding stars in Jalen Green or Alperen Sengun, and some combo of underutilized prospects in Jabari Smith Jr., Reed Sheppard or Cam Whitmore.
Meanwhile, it would be a glove-like fit for Durant, who at this point in his career could use the insulation that Houston’s No. 5-ranked defence offers. His 118.9 individual defensive rating last season was a career-worst mark, and his statistical impact on that end has regressed year-over-year for the last four seasons.
In return, Durant would undoubtedly elevate the Rockets’ late-game offence that was in desperate need of a closer. His 6.7 points per game in fourth quarters ranked 10th in the NBA, which would be a welcome addition in Houston after the team finished in the bottom 10 in that regard.
If Durant is bound for a return to Texas, where he spent his collegiate playing days, the Spurs could be an equally viable option. Although San Antonio didn’t leap up the standings last season quite like Houston, it still pushed things in the right direction.
And pairing Durant with Victor Wembanyama — maybe the only other seven-footer on the planet who moves as fluidly as KD — and De’Aaron Fox would form an undeniably exciting trio to compete in a loaded West.
The Spurs have plenty to offer to make that a reality, starting with two first-rounders in the 2025 draft (Nos. 2 and 14) and plenty of promising youngsters in Jeremy Sochan, Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson or possibly even reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.
Or, how about a scenario where the Suns get Fox, plus No. 14 and matching salaries, while the Spurs draft, say, Dylan Harper with No. 2 to pair with Wemby and Castle — all to be shepherded by Durant in the twilight of his NBA career. Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
Either way, with Antetokounmpo seemingly off the market, Durant appears to be the biggest prize available, and San Antonio has what it takes to win a bidding war.
Describing Miami’s 2024-25 season as anything but turbulent would be a misnomer.
After the months-long Jimmy Butler saga came to an end, the Heat finally began picking up the pieces to figure out what’s next. And despite losing the six-time all-star, the South Florida squad won 10 of its last 14 non-playoff games, including a pair of Play-In victories to sneak into a first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers (albeit to get swept).
Adding Durant to fill the Butler-sized hole on a Heat team seemingly attached to superstar rumours constantly (while not landing many) could be what president Pat Riley has in mind to return Miami to competitive relevancy in a down-shifting Eastern Conference.
At the very least, a trio of KD, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo wouldn’t be anything to scoff at.
Outside of what kind of package Miami could put together to entice Phoenix, the bigger question would be: after refusing to give Butler the lucrative extension he wanted, would Riley and the Heat then turn around and offer a soon-to-be 37-year-old Durant said big-money deal to avoid him leaving after a one-year rental?
Following any potential trade, Durant would be eligible to sign a two-year, $112 million extension as soon as July 6, or he could wait six months to ink a deal that would see him make north of $60 million for the two seasons after 2025-26.
It would be hard to find a better storybook fit than Durant heading to the Midwest and mentoring a rising star in Anthony Edwards, who idolized KD growing up, while the pair chase a title together.
Two of the league’s most dynamic scorers (and outspoken characters) side-by-side would be must-see viewing on a nightly basis.
The hiccup here is the Suns and Wolves are both second-apron teams, meaning it would almost certainly take the help of a couple other teams to make the money work. That added wrinkle would surely make it difficult to peg the trade as a winning move for all parties involved.
But hey, think about this: Edwards famously said “They got KD but we got Jaden McDaniels” before sweeping the Suns last year and proving the hilarious soundbite to be somewhat true. What if his Timberwolves had both those guys?
While teams across the league have been busy swiping left on the Knicks, many reported requests to speak to their head coaches, maybe a player will be the one to accept New York’s advances.
The Knicks interest in Durant goes back as far as his 2019 free agency — he ultimately chose to team up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn despite those close to him, including long-time agent and business partner Rich Kleinman hoping he’d choose New York — but reportedly resurfaced during this February’s trade deadline when they made an offer for the two-time champ, per Charania.
A path forward between the two sides doesn’t seem all that clear given the Knicks already shipped off a boatload of assets in prior moves, but with Durant’s ties to the New York area through off-court ventures and Karl-Anthony Towns’ long-standing relationship with Kentucky teammate Devin Booker, there is a loose framework to work with.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Whether or not OKC ends up winning a title this year, they simply have too many assets and talented prospects not to consider consolidating for a star addition.
With potentially 12 first-rounders available until 2031, including two top-25 selections in the 2025 draft — there simply aren’t enough roster spots available to make use of those picks.
And if the Thunder do fall short of an NBA championship, despite a largely dominant showing en route, maybe a union of the two players to lead the franchise to its only two Finals appearances could be the final piece of the puzzle.
At the very least, it would make for a heck of a reunion having Durant back in Oklahoma City.
It’s hard to pin down what level of interest Canada’s lone NBA franchise has in the Suns superstar.
On one hand, despite prior reports of the Raptors wanting to land a “big fish,” they were not one of the named suitors for KD mentioned by Charania. Yet according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Raptors have indeed been linked to the four-time scoring champ.
“Toronto has likewise been painted by numerous NBA figures as a potential trade suitor for Durant … particularly if Antetokounmpo doesn’t reach the open market,” Fischer explained. “The Raptors, furthermore, would figure to have a more realistic shot at assembling a competitive trade offer for Durant compared to the mammoth offers that the Bucks would inevitably seek for Antetokounmpo’s services.”
Meanwhile, Marc Stein joined Sportsnet Central on Wednesday night and reiterated that sentiment, adding “the Raptors are certainly coming up in those conversations.”
And not for nothing, there is reporting the Suns would like a centre in return as part of any Durant deal, a box Toronto could check with an extension-eligible Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors can tidily match KD’s upcoming salary by including the big Austrian and say, RJ Barrett plus filler, without gutting the roster much further.
Meanwhile, Durant’s spacing and outside scoring would almost literally provide a breath of fresh air for a Raptors team he grew up wanting to play for due to his admiration of Vince Carter.
But do the Raptors have the “gumption,” as Stein put it, to pursue Durant despite the possibility he could leave after one year, akin to Kawhi Leonard post-2019 championship?
“I don’t need to remind too many people … of the Raptors’ history of gambling on Hall of Fame-bound forwards who only have one year left of their contract,” Stein added. “It wouldn’t be the first time they followed that script.”
