The Houston Rockets landed on Kevin Durant‘s wish list of preferred destinations as the Phoenix Suns ramp up talks to move the 15-time NBA All-Star ahead of the NBA Draft.
According to ESPN’s senior NBA insider Shams Charania, one of the Rockets, Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs 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.
Leaking Durant’s preferred destinations gives him a level of leverage over the Suns, who have been looking for the best deal.
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.”
Suns Looking to Get Picks Back
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.
In March, The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin reported that the Suns were looking to regain those picks from the Rockets.
“Sources informed The Republic that the most ideal return on a Durant trade is regaining three first-round picks and a young player as part of a multi-team deal tied to getting under the second apron,” Rankin wrote.
The Suns prefer the Rockets as their trade partner because of those picks.
According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Suns have contacted the Rockets since their seasons ended.
“Phoenix is aggressive in pursuit of a) trading Kevin Durant and b) regaining full control of their draft capital starting with the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft, team sources said. Since the conclusion of the season, Houston has fielded several calls from Phoenix, who have since gradually lowered their asking price for Durant, those sources said,” Iko wrote.
Rockets Still Weighing a Kevin Durant Trade
Getty Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns dunks against Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets.
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.
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.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Rockets Get Good News on Kevin Durant Trade Talks appeared first on Heavy Sports.