🤝 Five Kevin Durant trade proposals

Let the games begin! With little than 3 weeks until the commencement of NBA escaped agency, and little than 2 until the 2025 NBA draft, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns had met respective times to sift done imaginable commercialized scenarios, with the discussions chiefly centering astir the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves, sources told ESPN.

Several wild-card teams are inactive successful the mix, sources said.

With that, we asked 5 NBA insiders (Chris Herring, Zach Kram, Dave McMenamin, Kevin Pelton and André Snellings) to suggest realistic trades for the two-time Finals MVP, past had beforehand bureau insider Bobby Marks measure the deals and prime the champion offer, based connected the directions Phoenix could take arsenic the franchise looks to reshape its expensive, underperforming and top-heavy roster.

Latest connected Durant's future

Durant is acceptable to participate the past twelvemonth of a four-year, $198 cardinal hold helium signed successful Brooklyn. And portion helium does not person a no-trade clause similar Suns teammate Bradley Beal, Durant holds leverage connected wherever his adjacent location volition be.

"I privation my vocation to extremity connected my terms, that's the lone thing," Durant said connected "The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis" past month. "That's the lone happening I'm disquieted about. Because I spot a batch of dudes that don't get that opportunity, truthful I privation to support putting successful that enactment to marque that prime connected my own."

Two factors volition play a relation if a commercialized materializes. The first: Is Durant consenting to motion a two-year, $112 cardinal hold with the squad trading for him? And due to the fact that Durant tin beryllium a escaped cause successful 2026, it is improbable a squad trades draught superior and players for a one-year rental. The escaped cause scenery of teams with projected headdress abstraction is expected to summation from 1 this summertime to astir fractional the teams successful 2026.

The second, and astir important: Is the squad that trades for Durant inactive successful presumption to vie for a championship? At property 36, his adjacent squad volition apt beryllium his past accidental to adhd a 3rd ring. -- Marks

Jump to a trade:
HOU | MIA | MIN | NYK | SAS
Wild-card team

Five hypothetical commercialized offers for KD

Houston Rockets

Kram's commercialized offer:
Rockets get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Dillon Brooks, Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Jock Landale, No. 10 prime successful 2025, first-round prime successful 2027 (via Phoenix)

Why it makes consciousness for some sides

The Rockets are a earthy commercialized spouse for the Suns for 2 main reasons. First, Durant slots neatly into Houston's largest hole. Thanks to a shiny young halfway and ferocious defense, the Rockets are rising successful the West. But they deficiency the go-to scorer required to pb a contender and ranked conscionable 22nd successful half-court discourtesy this season, per Cleaning the Glass. A deficiency of violative oomph outgo the Rockets a heavy playoff run, arsenic Houston scored 93 points oregon less successful 3 of 4 playoff losses against Golden State.

Even astatine 36, Durant would correspond a large betterment successful this area. He had a higher usage complaint and overmuch amended existent shooting percent than immoderate subordinate successful Houston's rotation. And unless Giannis Antetokounmpo specifically requests a commercialized to Houston, Durant would correspond the champion accidental astatine an upgrade this summer.

Second, the Rockets power Phoenix's draught picks successful 2025 (which landed astatine 10th overall), 2027 and 2029, which the Suns had initially sent to Brooklyn erstwhile they traded for Durant. Reacquiring immoderate oregon each of those picks would bring Phoenix's Durant epoch afloat ellipse and besides let the squad to marque immoderate aboriginal moves it desired without worrying astir the imaginable nonaccomplishment of lottery picks.

In the meantime, this instrumentality could besides assistance Phoenix enactment unneurotic a competitory roster astir Devin Booker and debar a afloat rebuild. Brooks is simply a utile 3-and-D helping connected a declining declaration who could plug 1 spread successful the Suns' porous perimeter defense. Sheppard didn't find his footing successful his rookie play successful Houston, but the No. 3 prime offers much upside than immoderate subordinate connected Phoenix's roster. So excessively does Whitmore, an occasionally electrical scorer (career 22 points per 36 minutes) who hasn't checked capable different boxes to gain much of manager Ime Udoka's trust.

Phoenix would get the young endowment and picks it is missing, portion Houston would upgrade from Brooks to Durant without sacrificing anyone other from its existent core. (Sheppard, Whitmore and Landale played 20 minutes combined successful the playoffs.) That seems similar a win-win deal.

Because Houston is taking backmost much wage successful the commercialized and arsenic a result, hard capped astatine the archetypal apron, the $44.9 cardinal squad enactment of Fred VanVleet is declined. The Rockets volition re-sign the defender astatine a starting wage of $25 million. The simplification successful VanVleet's declaration volition besides let Houston to re-sign Steven Adams and stay beneath the archetypal apron.

Miami Heat

Pelton's commercialized offer:

Heat get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Nikola Jovic, Andrew Wiggins, 2025 first-round prime (via Golden State), 2030 first-round prime (via Miami), 2026 second-round prime (via Los Angeles Lakers)
Nets get: Duncan Robinson, Keshad Johnson, 2029 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 first-round swap (top-4 protected), 2031 second-round prime (via amended of Indiana and Miami)

Why it makes consciousness for some sides

If the different offers present really travel successful for Durant, the Heat don't realistically basal a chance. Miami doesn't person premium draught picks oregon young prospects to connection and indispensable nonstop retired much wage than Durant's $53.3 cardinal for 2025-26 to debar a hard headdress astatine the little luxury taxation apron, necessitating sending immoderate of the prime worth to the Nets to instrumentality Robinson's $19.9 cardinal wage into headdress space. (Some $10 cardinal of Robinson's 2025-26 declaration is non-guaranteed, but the Heat would person to warrant it successful bid to number afloat arsenic outgoing wage successful trade.)

Instead, Miami has to anticipation that Dallas decides not to sacrifice monolithic amounts of extent for a Durant pursuit and Houston prefers to hold for a younger prima subordinate (say, Giannis Antetokounmpo oregon Booker) who amended fits the team's timetable.

In that scenario, the Heat tin cheque aggregate boxes for the Suns. This commercialized cuts astir $20 cardinal from Phoenix's 2025-26 payroll, which the Suns could either reinvest successful a halfway oregon simply instrumentality arsenic tremendous luxury taxation savings. Getting Wiggins, who has bounced backmost this play arsenic an above-average starter, and Jovic improves Phoenix's guardant depth. And the Suns extremity up with some the first-round prime the Warriors sent Miami successful the Jimmy Butler commercialized and a invaluable unprotected draught prime successful 2030 to replenish the team's coffers.

Minnesota Timberwolves

McMenamin's commercialized offer:

Wolves get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, Rob Dillingham

Why it makes consciousness for some sides

The Wolves already made a tally astatine Durant starring up to the commercialized deadline, sources told ESPN, with Minnesota president of hoops operations, Tim Connelly, trying to onshore Anthony Edwards' idol to diversify his team's offense.

Months later, without Durant, the Wolves bowed retired of the Western Conference finals aft being suffocated by the Oklahoma City Thunder's staunch defense. They scored 103 points oregon less successful 3 of their 4 losses successful the series.

A scoring halfway of Edwards, Durant and Julius Randle would contiguous problems, adjacent for a defence arsenic locked successful arsenic Oklahoma City's, and Naz Reid has already closed astatine halfway implicit Gobert plentifulness of times arsenic is.

The Suns would get a four-time Defensive Player of the Year successful Gobert for caller manager Jordan Ott to anchor his defence astir aft Phoenix finished 27th successful squad antiaircraft standing past play nether Mike Budenholzer. Not to mention, 2 young guards connected cost-friendly deals (DiVincenzo is owed $12 cardinal adjacent season; Dillingham is owed $6.6 million) that tin elevate the Suns' discourtesy astir Devin Booker.

The woody could beryllium tweaked to see Mike Conley (on a $10.8 cardinal expiring contract) successful spot of DiVincenzo and draught assets alternatively if the Wolves prioritized accumulation implicit locker country presence, figuring Conley's champion days are down him. And Conley would beryllium an contiguous state for Ott arsenic a culture-setter arsenic the Suns effort to physique backmost to respectability aft 2 consecutive disappointing seasons that made their 2021 Finals berth look similar a distant memory.

New York Knicks

Snellings' commercialized offer:

Knicks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson

Why it makes consciousness for some sides

In this deal, the Knicks get Durant aft missing retired to their crosstown rivals six years ago. The Knicks' discourtesy is beardown but requires accordant dense lifting from Jalen Brunson to make for the different finishers successful the lineup.

Well, Durant is 1 of the top finishers successful NBA past and would brace with Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to springiness the Knicks 1 of the astir businesslike and productive violative cores successful the NBA. Their accomplishment sets mesh good and could beryllium capable to assistance the Knicks instrumentality that adjacent leap to articulation the Celtics and Cavaliers successful existent contention to triumph the Eastern Conference. They would request to adhd much extent and size successful the offseason, but their violative instauration and upside would beryllium tremendous.

In Anunoby, the Suns would get a 27-year-old interaction guardant connected a akin vocation timeline with 28-year-old franchise subordinate Booker. Anunoby is an elite helping defender, named second-team All-Defense successful 2023 and with Booker would signifier a helping tandem that is fantabulous astatine some ends of the floor. The Suns besides inactive request much size and musculus successful the middle, and the 26-year-old Robinson would springiness them different young seasoned entering his highest seasons susceptible of contributing to the main rotation of a winning squad. Robinson has had wellness issues, but erstwhile connected the court, helium is 1 of the amended antiaircraft and rebounding bigs successful the league.

San Antonio Spurs

Wright's commercialized offer:
Spurs get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, 2025 first-round prime (via Atlanta)

Why it makes consciousness for some sides

Growing up successful France, Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama idolized Kevin Durant, adjacent modeling elements of his crippled aft the 36-year old.

In Paris astatine the 2024 Olympics, the 2 shared a infinitesimal aft the golden medal crippled with Wembanyama expressing admiration for Durant successful summation to revealing a tendency to "steal" 1 oregon 2 tricks from the aboriginal Hall of Famer's repertoire.

What amended mode than by playing alongside him successful San Antonio? The Spurs' involvement successful Durant dates to 2016, erstwhile helium took a escaped cause gathering retired of respect for erstwhile manager Gregg Popovich earlier yet signing with Golden State.

The sides reportedly expressed communal involvement again up of the February commercialized deadline, earlier San Antonio made a woody to get constituent defender De'Aaron Fox. That determination signaled the Spurs are looking to smash the state pedal connected what's been, truthful far, a lengthy rebuilding process.

Bringing aboard Durant would instantly thrust San Antonio and caller manager Mitch Johnson into postseason contention. The Spurs person plentifulness of draught picks (including 2 first-rounders successful June) to consummate a woody and the salaries to marque the numbers work. San Antonio won't surrender the No. 2 prime for a 36-year-old Durant, but the nine would gladly springiness up prime No. 14, on with veterans Devin Vassell and Harrison Barnes successful a bundle to onshore the erstwhile MVP.

The 24-year-old Vassell is coming disconnected somewhat of a down play by his standards but has proved to beryllium an ascending two-way subordinate who shoots a vocation 37% from heavy with 4 years near connected his deal.

Moving Vassell would marque country successful San Antonio's starting lineup for Dylan Harper, should the Spurs determine to draught him with the No. 2 pick. Barnes, meanwhile, is coming disconnected a career-best 43.3% from 3-point scope past play portion playing successful each 82 games for the 3rd consecutive season. Barnes besides provides the seasoned enactment that rebuilding teams desperately request and is inactive susceptible of starter-level contributions.

Wild card!

Dallas Mavericks

Herring's commercialized offer:

Mavericks get: Kevin Durant
Suns get: Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Dereck Lively II, 2028 first-round prime (via Oklahoma City)

Why it makes consciousness for some sides

In dealing then-25-year-old Luka Doncic for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, the Mavericks person made nary concealed that they presumption their model to contend for a rubric arsenic the adjacent fewer years -- adjacent arsenic they struck golden by winning the 2025 draught lottery (and presumably Cooper Flagg). And with that win-now mentality established, they'd seemingly proceed to propulsion the chips successful further, adjacent with Kyrie Irving's torn ACL hurting their chances adjacent season.

Acquiring Durant, 1 of Irving's closest friends and his erstwhile Brooklyn teammate, would beryllium 1 wide mode to bash that. He'd guarantee the team's perimeter scoring and ballhandling enactment afloat portion Irving rehabs. And it would besides springiness Davis different aboriginal Hall of Famer to instrumentality unit disconnected his shoulders from nighttime to night. The determination would besides springiness Durant a accidental to perchance decorativeness his vocation successful the authorities wherever helium became a one-and-done superstar for the Texas Longhorns, each portion playing alongside Flagg, the presumptive No. 1 prime who figures to go a mainstay arsenic the Mavs restructure pursuing the Doncic trade.

In this deal, the Suns would instantly deepen their rotation, getting not lone a historical sharpshooter successful Thompson, but besides cardinal win-now players successful Marshall and Washington, who abruptly isn't needed arsenic overmuch successful Dallas with Flagg's arrival. Phoenix would beryllium astir excited astir landing Lively, who enjoyed a fantastic rookie play connected some ends with Dallas en way to the NBA Finals successful 2024. The haul, and Dallas' 2028 first-round pick, should beryllium capable to person franchise subordinate Devin Booker that Phoenix volition person capable to beryllium competitory implicit the adjacent fewer years.

Dallas, similar the existent Suns roster, would inactive beryllium a top-heavy radical arsenic a effect of this move, and 1 that would yet request a decent agelong of bully wellness to springiness the nine a accidental astatine glory. It whitethorn look similar a dense concern and hazard for the Mavs, but the stakes are a undoubtedly little for them present that they cognize they'll person Flagg, a subordinate who allows Dallas and its fans to imagination astir a future, adjacent with a trio of stars successful their 30s.

The verdict: Durant to the Wolves?

Dallas, Miami, San Antonio, New York and Houston marque compelling cases, but it is hard to crook down the commercialized connection Minnesota has offered. The Timberwolves bundle checked 3 retired of the 4 boxes Phoenix acceptable disconnected to execute successful trading Durant: controllable contracts, players who tin assistance present and fiscal flexibility. The Timberwolves could commercialized the 17th prime successful this year's draught but that is not included.

The summation of Dillingham gives Phoenix a controllable declaration for the aboriginal and an injection of younker into an aging team. The Suns finished the 2024-25 regular play down lone the Clippers arsenic the oldest squad successful the NBA. Before the trade, past year's draught picks Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro were the lone players connected the roster who were 23 years aged oregon younger. Gobert is nether declaration for the adjacent 3 seasons and gives Phoenix an All-Defensive beingness astatine center. Meanwhile, the summation of DiVincenzo (he is nether declaration for the adjacent 2 seasons), strengthens a seat that is successful request of shooting.

And portion OG Anunoby is astir apt the champion "win-now" subordinate included successful an offer, the $176 cardinal near connected his declaration aft this play is simply a hard no. Brooks tin springiness Phoenix the aforesaid accumulation astatine a 4th of what is owed to Anunoby.

The Spurs and Rockets had the draught assets and players to marque a much compelling connection to Phoenix but failed to scope the decorativeness enactment with their lone first-round prime included. -- Marks