Kevin Durant‘s camp has named his three preferred destinations as the Phoenix Suns ramp up their trade talks for the 15-time NBA All-Star.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, one of the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets is where Durant wants to play next and commit to a long-term extension.
Durant has one year and $54.7 million left in his current four-year, $190 million contract. He can sign a two-year, $112 million extension wherever he lands next. If he waits six months after the trade, he could fetch more — $124 million over two years, according to Charania.
But while the Suns are working with Durant’s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, it’s no guarantee that they would send him to one of his preferred destinations.
“The Suns have made clear to six-to-eight seriously interested teams that they will make the best deal for the franchise – even outside of his preferred list of Miami, San Antonio and Houston,” Charania wrote on X.
What the Suns Are Looking For in Kevin Durant Trade
According to ESPN’s senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst, the Suns have a high asking price for Durant that has been dragging the trade talks.
“From what I am told, the Suns are looking for a comparable package for what they traded Kevin Durant, which is impact players and multiple draft assets,” Windhorst said on “NBA Today” on June 11. “I’m not sure they are going to be able to generate that because Durant is a couple of years older and his contract is short.”
The Suns gave up four first-round picks and a pick swap on top of Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges for Durant at the trade deadline in 2023. Three of those picks are now with the Rockets, who are in a great position to trade for Durant should they want to.
Durant, who will turn 37 this September, just earned his 15th NBA All-Star berth this season. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games in what could be his final season in Phoenix.
What We Know So Far About the Trade Talks
All three teams on top of Durant’s list have the combination of players and draft assets to make a deal happen.
However, the two Texas teams have been reluctant to go deep in their bag of assets to trade for an aging star with their current timeline.
The Rockets have clinched the No. 2 seed this season but lost in seven games in the first round of the playoffs to a veteran Golden State Warriors team. A Durant trade will accelerate their timeline. However, they have been bullish about the development of their young core supplemented by veterans Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams and Dillon Brooks.
The Suns prefer to deal Durant to the Rockets if they offer their picks back.
The Spurs are in the same boat with Victor Wembanyama about to enter just his third season in the league. They can form a Big Three with Durant, Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox but they have been unwilling to surrender the No. 2 pick or last year’s No. 4 pick Stephon Castle for Durant, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer.
The Heat can compete with the two Texas teams with three tradable first round picks, including this year’s 20th pick (from Golden State) and young players such as Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jovic.
Who puts forward the best offer will take Durant.
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