Where will Kevin Durant get traded? That is the question swirling the Phoenix Suns at this moment in time, who may have shot themselves in foot after entertaining trade talks for the veteran in February, leaving him disgruntled and wanting out after this season.
There is not much to shout about as a Suns fan at this moment in time.
A franchise rebuild starring one of the most decorated NBA stars in recent years has scarcely got off the ground, while an offensive-heavy side has left it lopsided and its biggest assets feasting on the lion’s share of the wage bill.
The Suns sit on a fairly dismal 30-36 season record, 1.5 games off of a coveted play-in spot in the Western Conference.
To make matters worse, the center of that rebuild – Kevin Durant – has seemingly begun to distance himself from the franchise after the front office attempted to trade him last month.
Although its preference would have been for Bradley Beal to move on, his no-trade clause and substantial contract was of no interest to Miami Heat, who were prepared to negotiate with Phoenix over Jimmy Butler – now of the Warriors – to leave in a suitable exchange.
With Durant now all but surely heading for the exit come the end of the season, we take a look at some of the potential next steps in the twilight of his career.
If Phoenix does again look to trade Duran, it would would look for an exchange that includes several first-round picks, and likely a young player.
Where will Kevin Durant get traded?
Minnesota Timberwolves
Kevin Durant to the Minnesota Timberwolves very nearly came to fruition before February 6’s deadline, as per The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, who revealed the franchise made a last minute push to acquire him.
With Durant catching wind of Phoenix’s attempts to shift him on he was reportedly open to the switch, and although it didn’t become a reality last month, the groundwork has been laid for future negotiations.
Anthony Edwards has made no secret of his desire to link up with his basketball hero, and Durant clearly shares a mutual respect for Minnesota’s all-time three-point leader.
Minnesota would certainly be filling the void left by Karl-Anthony Towns’ trade to the Knicks last year, but with the Suns’ asking price of three first round picks and a young player it likely doesn’t make much logical sense.
The Timberwolves do not have the draft capital to pull off a deal of that magnitude, while letting go of a more youthful talent in favor of a man who turns 37 soon could be a grave misjudgment.
Houston Rockets
Could we see Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets?
From a purely basketball perspective, this trade would make a whole lot of sense for the Rockets. No doubt it is climbing the Western Conference with one of the most effective young cores in the NBA, but Houston are missing the final piece of the jigsaw in a consistent, go-to scorer.
Of course Jalen Green has been posting the highest numbers in a solid scoring season – averaging 21 across the campaign – but those big game metrics are too infrequent to make them serious contenders. A still hugely effective Durant could fill that hole in the latter years of his career.
It is also worth noting that the Rockets have Phoenix’s draft picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 in the palm of its hand. Getting those picks back – even if it isn’t all of them – would given them the freedom to explore and rebuild without giving up lottery picks.
New York Knicks
While a trade with the New York Knicks may not include the kind of asking price they desire, the Suns could well demand the likes of OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson.
In terms of a right-here-right-now mindset, the former would combine for a hugely effective tandem with Devin Booker and could be just the right impact forward they are looking for – and at 27, has plenty of years to offer as a man they can build with.
As for the Knicks, Durant would slot alarmingly well into their offense, and take some of the load off Jalen Brunson – who will be missing for two weeks with an ankle sprain – with the two-time All Star shouldering a lot of responsibility in terms of creating for its finishers.
A trident of Durant, Towns and Brunson is enough to make most teams in the league quake in their boots, and could well be that extra boost it needs to compete with the likes of Boston and NBA sportsbooks‘ second-favorites for the title, Cleveland, near the top of the Eastern Conference.
