Kevin Durant shocked the NBA world when he was traded from the Nets to the Suns ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Could he be on the move less than a season and a half later?
The Suns had an early playoff exit in 2024, fueling speculation that the team could try to retool around Devin Booker. That could involve moving on from Durant, 35, who still has two years and nearly $106 million left on his contract.
Phoenix may not be ready to give up its “big three” of Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal. They added a new coach to the fold, Mike Budenholzer, so it seems prudent to give him at least one season with the trio.
However, several NBA teams could try to pry Durant away from the Suns. At the very least, his name will continue to be in the rumor mill until he or Phoenix say he’s staying for good.
These are the latest trade rumors surrounding Kevin Durant as he prepares to play his 18th NBA season.
Kevin Durant Trade Rumor Tracker
Suns owner: Phoenix loves Kevin Durant
Date:June 26th
Fountain: Matt Ishiba, owner of the Suns
Suns owner Matt Ishiba took to social media to express his disdain for reports regarding Kevin Durant’s future. He clarified the matter and hinted that both sides want to try again for next season.
NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talks about the drama and plots, some are right and some are just not.
My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we’re competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. I have to…— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) June 26, 2024
So, it doesn’t look like Durant is going to move on, unless Ishiba changes his mind.
Suns ‘want to get out of Kevin Durant right now’
Date:June 26th
Fountain: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith
While ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski insisted the Suns don’t want to split up their core just yet, his co-worker Stephen A. Smith is hearing otherwise.
“Don’t pay attention to what Phoenix says” Smith explained on ESPN’s ‘First Take’. “They want out of Kevin Durant right now.”
If that’s the case, then why aren’t the Rockets doing something to land Durant? It’s possible Houston doesn’t actually want the 35-year-old All-Star, according to Smith. They have their eyes set on another Phoenix target.
“Houston doesn’t want Kevin Durant,” Smith said. “Ime Udoka may want him, but organizationally, they know they’re not there yet. So their plans are more long-term and they would prefer Devin Booker, which they know they have a slim chance of getting, but that would be their preference.”
Booker is only 27 years old, so it’s easy to understand why the Rockets would feel that way. However, it seems unlikely that the Suns will move on from Booker unless a complete teardown occurs, so seeing Booker suit up in red and white during the 2024-25 season seems unlikely.
MIKAL BRIDGES DEAL: Full details | Grades | Knicks cap space
Rockets will ‘aggressively’ look for improvements in 2024 offseason
Date:June 25th
Fountain: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
The Rockets may like Durant, but they aren’t set on signing him specifically. The team will use its wealth of picks to aggressively pursue notable veteran upgrades for the roster, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As intrigued as the Rockets have been by Durant, they are now determined to use the Suns’ picks to be aggressive on deals elsewhere, sources tell ESPN. Phoenix has made it clear they want to run it again with this group, and Houston is looking for a major upgrade now.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
That doesn’t guarantee the Rockets will make a move, as the team has to evaluate what’s available on the market. But if Durant doesn’t break loose during the offseason, the Rockets could stop pursuing him and look elsewhere.
But what if they take the patient approach? Keep an eye on Durant, and in a couple of years, Devin Booker. by Wojnarowski.
The Rockets want to sign Kevin Durant
Date:June 25th
Fountain: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
Shortly after the Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the Knicks, the Rockets reached a deal with Brooklyn to give the Nets control of their own draft picks in future seasons. In exchange, Houston received some of the first-round picks that Phoenix gave up to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, giving the Rockets control over the Suns’ future.
There was a method to Houston’s madness, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The Rockets want to trade for Durant on their own, and believe “that becomes a lot easier” if they have control over the picks Phoenix sent to Brooklyn in the original Durant trade in 2023.
The implications of the Rockets getting the Suns’ picks? Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant and that becomes a lot easier if they can return to the Nets the Suns picks they gave up in the Durant deal. The Suns have said they will keep Durant for now, but that could change…
—Adrián Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
The Suns may not want to deal with Durant just yet, but Houston’s move could put them in the driver’s seat if Phoenix changes its mind.
