After reporting before the end of the regular season that there was some mutual interest between the Spurs and Suns star Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that point last week during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link). Charania’s reporting has since been confirmed by a plugged-in Phoenix-area insider.
“The team that I heard last night in speaking to somebody pretty close to the situation with KD is keep your eye on the Spurs,” John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 said during the Burns & Gambo show on Tuesday (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM). “KD could have some interest in the Spurs. That might be a good landing spot for him, with (De’Aaron) Fox and (Victor) Wembanyama and an up-and-coming team on the rise that has a great defensive anchor.”
Gambadoro speculates that a Durant deal with San Antonio might include Harrison Barnes‘ $19MM expiring contract and a young player like Devin Vassell, who will make $27MM next season. While Vassell is primarily a shooting guard like Devin Booker, the Suns figure to prioritize acquiring the best young talent they can, rather than a perfect positional fit.
“You could (say), ‘Oh, you don’t want a guy who plays the same position as Booker,'” Gambadoro continued. “But you might have to take back somebody that plays the same position. You need to get younger talent. You could always trade somebody down the road, or move somebody to small forward instead of the two-guard spot, or you could have somebody be the point guard and not the two guard.”
As Gambadoro observes, the Suns will also likely be seeking draft assets in a deal for Durant, including perhaps a 2025 pick. That’s one reason why he thinks a deal could come together at some point in the coming weeks, prior to free agency.
“I expect – I’m not guaranteeing this, but I would expect – that a KD deal would happen right before the draft,” Gambadoro said. “Because you’d want to include draft capital in any deal, so I think that a Kevin Durant trade would come up this month, sometime before the draft. Probably close to the draft, if it’s going to happen.”
Marc Stein recently reported that the league-wide belief that a Durant trade will happen this offseason has only increased as the Suns trend toward hiring a first-time head coach. On Tuesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic indicated that the Suns and Rockets have continued to talk about a possible Durant trade and shared some additional details on those discussions.
If the Subns can get Barnes, Vassel, and a late 1st round pick from Spurs they should go for it. Don’t be like the Jazz and think you are going to get a overpay and be stuck with a player.
Is that better than a deal from the Wolves?
Randle, DiVincenzo, Conley, and #17
If I’m the wolves they’d too much for a KD rental.
I would imagine the deal would be contingent on KD signing an extension before the wolves would do that.
As a Wolves fan, I don’t think that is the trade they make. I could see Gobert or Naz (Sign and Trade) instead of Randle, I don’t think Conley is going anywhere. I could see Dillingham, Shannon or Clark, or Divicenzo added as additional pieces.
Curious to see what Suns fan see is a fair deal.
Randle has an option so nobody knows if he opts in. None of theose players is better than a young player like Vassel that stays for a few years.
I would try to squeeze a little more out, maybe Champagnie or a couple quality 2nds. Something like that.
Jimmy Butler is a better return
KD is worth more than that.
Why would Spurs want a 36 yr old KD (37 in Sept).
When they can go after Giannis. Without giving up Castle.
They are not trading Castle – period. Have you all watched the Spurs the last 30 years – they don’t do the same stupid things that other desperate teams do.
tuck2- you can’t call a trade stupid unless you know both sides
Dillon Harpet and Castle are too similar, there isn’t room for both of them. What do you propose the Spurs do?
Devin Vassel is going to make 27 million next year???!!!
He was absolutely worth that the second half of last season. First half was a struggle, though.
I told everyone a year or two ago that was 10 mil too much per season
I like Devon but he was drafted one spot ahead of Halliburton….
Durant is at the end and has been irrelevant for a while. He was great but is fading fast.
27/6/4 doesn’t seem irrelevant. Thats right at his career averages.
He definitely still has more left in the tank, but not as your top player if you want to be a contender.
Wemby would be the Spurs’ top player in this scenario. The question is, does KD see himself as a 2nd option now?
That is a valid question, and will be an issue no matter where he goes.
Wemby glaze is out of control. Wemby would be the first option if Durant is there hahahahaha. Lou is the only one right here
KD publicly deferred to Booker as the #1 guy the moment he arrived in Phoenix.
I suspect he’d do the same with Wemby.
How did that work out for the Nets (with Hardin and Kyrie) or Phoenix w Booker and Beal. Enough already with this loser
You are wrong, KD has been on irrelevant TEAMS since leaving GSW. He himself is very relevant. YDKB.
So there were no other good players on those teams ? Please stop
Durant is the man still
Are you insane? Yes, the teams were KD and trash. KD was great.
You are so illogical I cant come to any conclusion other than you are a KD hater just seething he is still elite in this league.
Stop being a KD hater, it makes you insane lil bro
Am I the only one who is really low on who San Antonio drafted recently not named Wembanyama? Keldon Johnson, Vassell, Sochan, Wesley, Branham and even Castle? They absolutely butchered the amazing 2021 draft year, and then got mostly meh. Even Castle, yes, he was ROTY last year, but come on, it was for a tanking team and in a weak 2024 draft year.
And I didn’t like the trade for Fox, I don’t think he’s all that. For some reason, he is very highly regarded in the league, but is he any better than Herro? Is it because he’s considered “clutch”? Which is the biggest nonsense term floating around the NBA.
If I were Milwaukee or Phoenix trading, I would not be salivating at what San Antonio can offer in terms of players. And those teams need to win, neither Suns nor Bucks have their picks, they have no choice but to win, or get an excellent pick haul.
I think that is a little harsh on SA. I agree their draft picks but for wemby have been pretty meh. Castle i actually like, particularly given who else was in that draft.
You have to give them credit for trades. Getting Barnes AND draft assets for nothing was nice work. Fox is definitely a step below superstar, but they again paid very little to bring him in. Don’t forget they robbed Atlanta in the Murray trade to assemble all those picks in the first place.
Sochan could be developed into a forward with a diverse skillset, in which scoring is not one of the first options, so that could complement well with scoring stars.
Has the character to add to the show in drama, including green hair (like Dennis the Menace), sub-.500 one-handed free throws, and even some trash talk if I’m not mistaken. From an on court standpoint, he’s still green (no pun intended) though.
I can see him developing as a role player in a future contending Spurs team, or in a big market championship contender in the future, because of his size, contribution in different areas, and outgoingness.
You are spot on Peter. Overrated to the extreme they are
Johnson was the 29th pick – how can that be overrated. Vassell was 11 – so that’s luck of the draw – he’s better than most 11th picks but Halliburton was a miss – thought so that night, but remember Spurs draft people first so you’ll never know why they might pass on someone.
Sochan was probably too much of a gamble at 9 and of course Primo was a total miss.
Anyway you can’t get excited about any pick after 5 or 6, because no one knows how guys will develops
tuck 2
I do love Keldon Johnson actually. I want him to start somewhere.
Vassell is paid 10 mil to much per season, I would turn him into a sixth man eventually
Sochan doesn’t fit next to Wemby. He would flourish somewhere else
I believe San Antonio trying to compete without building their roster first and getting Wemby and then saying we are competing is silly, and everyone saying blah blah blah, yes I think they are overrated
I do think San Antonio should sell sell sell. Offer Fox to 76ers for the 3rd pick plus etc
Or a trade with Dallas if possible
That is a fair comment on Castle. He’s proven relatively little so far. He came in a weak draft and got a free run as a rookie on a tanking team. This was the weakest RoY in memory.
The big concern is that he can’t shoot. 28.5% from deep. It was the concern coming out of college, and he did nothing to dispel it.
If I’m SA, I’m drafting Dilon Harper, and packaging Castle in a deal for Giannis.
You looked at the Spurs glass half empty and say let’s make a deal, let me stop laughing Pete. Spurs holding some of most valuable draft capital in the NBA, some extremely talented “very young” talent ” lots of cap room and a generational talent NBA players drool to play with. Bucks and suns with 2 disgruntled, highly paid super stars who want out. I disagree IMO.
I agree that Spurs have good draft capital (this year’s №2 pick turned out better than they could have hoped for), agree with the generational talent bit, and agree that they have a good salary situation. The last one will change when they give Fox his max and when Victor’s gets extended.
About the young talent bit I agree much less, but there’s a thought: let’s be honest, Popovich overstayed his welcome. Maybe those young players who have shown little will show something more under a new coach. Let’s see how it goes.
Yes ———. Read what kind of sport basketball is !!!
Johnson was a mid first rounder so he’s what you get. Sochan was a bad gamble but again 9 is crap shoot. Castle was without doubt the best player in last year’s draft, so you are wrong on that. They gave up nothing for Fox – so it’s a very good trade. But I’m sure Pop and RC appreciate your input
For some reason I do like Keldon Johnson and believe he needs to ask to be traded out of that mess
You are underselling the talent of Castle and Vassell to build your point. Castle is a budding star while Vassell is a guaranteed rotational player who could blossom to more BECAUSE HE’S ONLY 24!
Johnson, Branham, Wesley and Sochan won’t be stars but considering they were drafted at 29, 20, 25 and 9 respectfully, they are not huge misses. Maybe Sochan ends up being a wasted pick at #9 but the entire ‘22 draft was terrible, much worse than the ‘24 draft that you are knocking.
MKE and PHX are not salivating looking at any rosters, SAS included. They are simply trying to acquire the best assets possible when their stars asked out.
And Fox was dealt for future #1’s that should be outside of the lottery assuming Wemby stays healthy and a bag of beans in Collins, Jones, Sissoko. Even with his bad assist/turnover ratio, he was an absolute steal, especially for a program devoid of a PG. If he can turn that ratio to 3:1 and shoot closer to 35% from 3, SAS turns in to a playoff team.
Just to clarify: I don’t think SA did badly when they drafted Castle, not at all. They did exactly what they should: they drafted the right player, they gave him minutes, and they built a reputation for him. And they can claim they have 2 ROTY in a row. That’s all brilliant. They did as well as one could have hoped in this talent-shallow class.
SA for sure did much better than the team I like, the Wizards, who are giving minutes to the least talented group of rookies in my memory. I will eat my tongue if Alex Sarr or Bub Carrington become good players in this league, and I will go to the monastery if either of them becomes a star. The Wizards were winning 30-something games in seasons leading to drafts in 2021, 2022, 2023, and then they decided to tank for the 2024 draft class. What a disappointment of an organisation over the last 5 years or so…
What I am trying to say is that Castle has shown relatively little, he is by far the weakest ROTY in years, nowhere near close to what players like Simmons were showing in rookie years, and nowhere near what Trae or Tyrese showed, who did not win ROTY however, because their draft classes were so much stronger. Again, this is not a jab at Castle, who did what he should have, seized the opportunity and performed, according to his limitations. He has grit, he plays tough, he plays to win. His skill set and the interpretation of the game are quite limited, though.
That’s what I’m saying. Winning ROTY this year doesn’t make him project like Ben Simmons or like players who made it into all-rookie teams from the 2018 draft. His ROTY win doesn’t mean SA should blindly try to build with him.
KD for Jimmy 1-1 is the only trade that makes sense for both sides. That Spurs package is laughable.
You will not let this die will you. How does trading Durant for a worse version that is also over 35 do anything for the suns? They need young assists and draft capital.
Davey J does not know ball.
That is true, DeRozan-Barnes deal was an excellent job by SA. And the Murray trade a while back ofc, but the fact that they committed a robbеry doesn’t mean they should squander the loot :)
I think they would be in a much better place without Fox, would have more assets. And they could trade or try to get as RFA Kuminga, Giddey. Maybe I’m crazy, but I’d rather have Giddey and Kuminga in my team over Fox. I rate both of them higher than Fox and Ingram, for instance. Giddey is a different type of player, and as a scorer, I’d rather have Kuminga over those two. Maybe it’s just because I’m so high on the 2021 draft. And there are other awesome FAs and RFa out there, Aldama is a brilliant player who can actually play basketball and not just execute sets, Quentin Grimes, Davion Mitchel, Turner, Reid.
Also, maybe sell high on Castle? I’m so low on 2024 draft that I made a bet with a friend that only 1 player will ever make an All-NBA team, I think it will be Buzelis, maybe somebody else. And not more than 2 all-stars, maybe also 1. I can kind of see Castle being an all-star with Wemby on the team winning 60 games, but there isn’t much in it. I would take Davion Mitchell over Castle on my team, and you can probably even get that guy on less money than Castle’s rookie contract, because Stephon was a high pick.
This reply was meant for PeanutGallery
Don’t worry I found it:) . I was with you until you said you would rather have kuminga and giddy than fox. Not sure I am with you on that one.
Castle, if (big if) he can hit threes at a competent level then he will be a good player. He does everything else well, and he is a winner. But yeah, with Castle, Fox, probably Harper, and maybe a resigned CP3. That is a crowded back court. Someone will have to go.
Well, I was high on 3 young players going into this year: Avdija, Giddey and Kuminga.
Avdija has had a brilliant season, borderline all-NBA level late in the season. Disappointed in the Wizards, the team I want to do well, to let him go and play all those guys from the 2024 draft… They will be lucky if even one of them (maybe Kyshawn George) becomes a valuable NBA player.
Giddey left OKC. That’s good for him. Also had a good end to his season: decent on turnovers, rebounds well, same TS% as Cade, for example. I kind of believe in that guy. This year, his TS% is higher than Fox’s career TS%. One of the reasons the Bulls had a good (probably better than they wanted, lol) end to the season is that his game does not go well with tanking. His game brings wins.
Kuminga had a worse season than 23-24, but it doesn’t change the way I view him. There’s so much potential there. What is affecting him is being in the wrong place in GS with Kerr wanting to make him a 3-and-D guy “because he’s athletic”. And to be fair, Kuminga is not very smart about his career, he’s really focused on getting the max and not about being the best player. He can deflate quickly, but the potential is huge. Will see how that last one plays out.
So that’s my logic, but I get that a lot of it is guessing.
With Fox, I thought his max extension was baked into the trade. It was reported that he’s getting it this summer. And that’s why SA got him rather cheap. That’s 50 mil+ per year, 60 mil in 3 years. Idk, there are proper max guys out there, and nice FAs and RFAs who could have been signed with that money with little competition this summer. I’m 80% sure SA wouldn’t have made the trade had they known they’ll get the №2 pick. But it came out of nowhere, to be fair.
And maybe SA can trade him for more than they got him for? Now that I’ve written that last thought down, it seems quite probable.
CP 3 is not coming back.
Giddy ? Please.
> Also, maybe sell high on Castle?
They have to be considering that given they will be picking Dillon Harper at #2
Vassell and Harisson Barnes for Kevin Durant? Thats insanity
Agree with my man Brabo, nonsensical. The freak if I’m starting with vassell and Barnes,add castle a couple of 1st round picks and you have your deal.
I am sure they would love that. Ganna be interesting to see what they ultimately get for him. I really have no idea what his value is. Getting older, has enough leverage to dictate where he goes and has been a part of bad chemistry situations at his last two stops. But, on the other hand, he is KD. Super curious to see what he ultimately goes for.
I addressed this possibility in the (bogus) article “mutual interest between Raptors and Giannis?”. Still don’t think Spurs should pursue KD. Heard from another source today about Knicks looking like a better fit – on paper, at least. Suns reunite KAT with Booker, then do whatever other ancillary tinkering to make this deal work for both sides as well as the cba. KD gets to go somewhere where, yeah, the current #1 is respected/appreciated, but not quite beloved and revered to the extent Steph was – and still is – in the bay when KD decided to take his talents there just about 9 years ago. Perhaps Bridges returns to the valley of the sun in this same trade proposal? A KD-Brunson-Anunoby-Hart core? Oh, I LIIIIIIIKE THAAAAAAT (I really do).
If I’m the Spurs I’m moving Fox for him. No chance I’m moving that 2nd pick and controlling all that talent for several years for Durant. Fox has one year left – that’s perfect for the Suns and he’d fit in nicely with Booker.
I actually think Houston lb for lb might be better going after KD than GI this summer
I think KD will cost more than most above
My Hou offer would be
1- Green 33 M – Not a fan of personally /not plus money imo
2- Jabari Smith – 12 M- Hou isnt extending w Kd anyways, Ishbia happy too
3- Cam Whitmore- 4m – Nice salary filler/player
4- 10 pick this year + 1 meh 1 st in future (very meh)
Phx saves 5 M (54-49) and an extra 5 mill on the 3-1 subtracting 2 vet mins (10 M total) – Dont love the Green/Booker fit but beggars cant be choosers
This is probably top end deal for Phx where KD doesnt get too much in the way, if Kd gets fussy who knows, I hope he doesn’t, Hou would be an incredible place for him the next 3 years to end out his career
Good trade for Phoenix. I think right now KD can be had for much less. I think he’s still a prime offensive threat, I see the fit with the Wolves’ and Ant.
Naz Reid S/T, veteran salary filler not named Randle or Conley or Gobert, and a 1st gets it done.
Minny/Phx wouldn’t be able to execute a S&T but agree KD in Minny would also be super cool –
It take Randle DDV and Conley for salary tho leaving Minny a tad thin on the perimeter .
Minny doesn’t have a 1st eligible to deal other than June 25ths number 17 so it prolly have to be a draft day trade between them to go down if it did
I still think Jimmy Butler 1-1 for KD is better. Jimmy wants to be in Phoenix too, that’s huge.
Butler and sign n trade Kuminga plus future picks for Durant, O’Neale and Richards is probably the only way it will happen.
I do like the idea of Durant back in GS
This makes zero sense for the Spurs. They are not ready to win now and Durant is a declining talent.
You don’t know Castle 20 yrs old. You Don’t know ball. All of you who diss Castle have no respect for this 2way game. Even though the very playoffs going on now. Are all about DEFENSE. Stop embarrassing yourself. Castle is one of the best young 2way talents in NBA. He has a chance to be MAJOR ——- 20 yrs old. Haven’t you learned yet what that means ….. SMH —- omg
Spurs won’t give him up ….. trust me.
Rockets and Spurs are only two teams who have the players and assets to trade for Giannis. The loser could go for KD. But IMO they are better off staying the course and build monster teams with picks they have. Both teams with picks this yr. Will eventually have more talent than OKC. We are talking Monster loaded young team ……
KD at best has 2-3 yrs. Spurs and Rockets with right picks can go 10 yrs.
KD is better for a contender next year with him. TWolves, Knicks, Thunder, Warriors, Cavs
I completely agree but I think Castle should play SG
If you watched the games…
He shouldn’t be defined…
He can play 1-4 easily… A true swiss army knife for his size…
He cannot play the 3 or 4. Now you are making things up
Turn off the 2k