The Phoenix Suns were willing to make big changes ahead of this year's NBA trade deadline but came up blank despite numerous rumors involving Jimmy Butler, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant. They'll now look to finish out the season and try to make a second-half push for the postseason, which is attainable but no guarantee in a tough West; Phoenix entered Wednesday at 26–27, one game out of the play-in tournament.
Barring an unexpected deep playoff run, though, what happens this season is immaterial compared to the decisions the Suns will face this offseason. They are the most expensive team in the NBA, with owner Mat Ishbia paying $366 million in salary and luxury tax. Expectations at that high a figure are much higher than the status quo of struggling to stay at .500. It seems likely Phoenix will make at least one, if not several, big moves this offseason to either reconfigure the team into a contender or cut salary entirely in an effort to lower the cost of the very expensive roster.
Speaking on the matter during Wednesday's Get Up on ESPN, NBA insider Brian Windhorst had one name in mind to be moved this offseason: Durant. What's more, Windhorst said KD, the Suns and the rest of the league all know he'll "probably" get traded this summer as he enters the final year of his contract.
"He's probably going to get traded this summer," Windhorst said. "He knows it, the Suns know it, the rest of the league know it. They're going to enjoy him while they have him. It's not really controversial in all honesty. They're under .500, they've got a $230 million payroll, then add about $100 million in tax on that. [ESPN stat guru Paul Hembekides] was showing me some stats earlier, he's played almost 1,500 minutes this year and he's +2 on the court in those 1,500 minutes. So you have an extremely expensive team that is not winning and the player who is their most expensive player, who is playing great, but not impacting them on a positive level.
"You do not need a high-level analyst to tell you that they probably need to trade him. ... While I would never make an ironclad prediction, I would expect this summer for Durant and the Suns to find a new home."
"I would expect this summer for Durant and the Suns to work together to find a new home." 😯
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 12, 2025
—@windhorstESPN on the future of Kevin Durant beyond this season pic.twitter.com/626Z3j71Hu
Durant is averaging 27.1 points per game in his age-36 season, but he is no longer capable of single-handedly carrying his team to victory every night. The Suns' roster is bad defensively and middle-of-the-pack offensively. Not even Durant's greatness can drag them out of the mud of mediocrity.
Which means expectations should be set accordingly when it comes to his next stop. Durant will not be a savior— but what a fascinating third or fourth wheel he could play on a contending team. A reunion with the Golden State Warriors is clearly out of the question but there are numerous other intruiging fits like the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies who may be driven to pursue Durant this offseason.
An early offseason storyline worth watching when the days lengthen and summer draws near.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Insider Explains Why Kevin Durant Will 'Probably' Get Traded by Suns This Offseason.
