The Suns and Kevin Durant‘s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met multiple times over the past week and are sifting through trade scenarios, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The Rockets, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks are among the teams that have expressed interest in trading for the 15-time All-Star forward.
Several other suitors beyond those five teams have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven-to-10 days, Charania notes. Talks are expected to escalate before the draft, which takes place in two weeks.
After a colossally disappointing season in which the Suns didn’t make the playoffs, there has been an expectation that Durant will be moved. The Suns engaged in trade talks involving Durant prior to February’s deadline and nearly traded him to Golden State, which seemingly caught Durant by surprise and was something he didn’t want at the time.
Matching salaries could be a challenge for some teams and draft capital could be key for the Suns, who desperately need to replenish their draft stock. The latter issue makes it preferable for a Durant deal to be in place over the next two weeks.
Durant has a $54.7MM salary next season, the last year of his current contract, and his desire for an extension could prove to be a critical factor in where he lands, says Charania.
Once he is traded, Durant will be eligible to sign a two-year contract extension on July 6 worth as much as $112MM. After a six-month waiting period, he could instead sign a two-year extension worth up to $124MM.
5 Teams want one player.
Suns are likely looking for a significant return for Durant. It will be over-priced
Let’s say he is worth Vassell + Harris Barnes
Overprice: add 14th pick and another future First
Second Apron: Suns, Cavs, Wolves
1
Not allow trade multiple players in the same deal, using trade exceptions from previous seasons, and taking back more salary than they send out in trades.
2.
cannot use the mid-level exception and cannot send out cash in trades
Hey if it gets rid of Randle, who cares who wolves have to unload to get him.
Wolves will be under the second apron before any Durant trade. They were over this past season but almost certainly won’t be next year.
vassel and Barnes plus a future 1st rounder would be a great trade for the suns.
Rockets could beat your offer
Jalen Green, Smith, Witmore and 10th pick
Rockets will have hard time to offer Smith 4 or 5 years extension
That would be a good trade fior the suns too. Suns need to rebuild with young players but their owner so far has refused to go for young players just wanting old vets. Hope the new GM over rides the owner and get younger.
What do you mean by “rebuild with young players”? Lose games? And to rebuild with what? They have almost no picks, and the few ones they have, Washington and Houston have swap rights to.
They have no other choice but to win games. Milwaukee are in the same situation, their picks are gone.
Why is everybody saying those teams should trade with San Antonio to get Vassell and other guys? To do what? Have you seen Vassell, Sochan, Castle and the rest win games? All they did the last couple of years was tank and lose, while people are singing praises to them simply because they won the lottery for Wemby.
Look at the west next year do you actually think they can be a top 6 team? I see no chance of them being better than a play in team. First you have T-wolves and OKC with about the same players. Rising teams as Spurs and Rockets. Now add in the old dogs Clippers, Warriors Lakers, and Nuggets. Now add in Grizzlies Pelican, and Mavs who should be better coming off injuries. Add in Portland that is improving. Suns roster is real bad so right now only Utah has a worse roster and they have draft picks to improve. So you are left with Booker and average players without KD. You will not compete with that team with no draft picks and no money to bring in good free agents. So why not bring in young players and draft picks for KD to improve?
I still don’t think the $ works out in that swap.
Spurs have $10 mm cap room before Draft Day
A couple things, first, there’s no way the rockets are interested in offering that. From what I’ve seen from local guys who cover the team, rockets pushed back the option deadline of FVV for a salary match in a potential trade and an offer would most likely be FVV and the 10th pick for Durant. These wild scenarios that you throw out there that I’m guessing you’re getting from ESPN talking heads are wildly off on Durant’s current value in today’s NBA landscape. The rockets have repeatedly said they don’t want to make a move that drastically shortens their championship window. Secondly, I think you are way off on what you think it will take for the rockets to retain Jabari. They don’t have to pay him this season, and he’s restricted next. He can’t get a 5 year deal on a rookie extension. He’s also not going to get a max deal from the rockets or another team on the open market. You are clearly thinking like the old NBA, which is not surprising. This current CBA has greatly restricted teams and I don’t think you’re going to see guys getting Michael Porter jr deals based on “potential” anymore.
I’m begging you, just stop talking about the rockets, you are clueless.
If its FFV and the #10 pick that is not happening. Suns would not want to over pay FFV and a #10 pick for a player when they could get a lot more for KD.
I think you’re overestimating what the Suns will get for KD.
For all the Rockets and Spurs talk, I think the more likely fit is Toronto or even Portland, both of whom match up better.
Once the Giannis fantasy fades, then the Raptors can turn their attention to KD. And RJ Barrett, Poeltl & Agbaji is a swap that works… both financially and also gets both sides what they want… PHO gets some younger pieces and TOR gets another high caliber scorer.
Fred is an expiring deal and is only important because the suns are going to have a hard time salary matching because they are a second apron team. Durant is also expecting an extension, so a team will be trading for a player who will be in his 37-40 years of age seasons, coming off injuries, and getting paid $172 million for those 3 years… That is not a high value deal for any team and I think the suns will be lucky to get a lottery pick for him based on that. Let’s not forget that he hasn’t exactly elevated his teams lately either. I love Durant, but he’s just not a guy you give up a bunch of young players AND draft capital for. The spurs I’m reading are looking at salary matching and the 14th pick for him. The spurs and rockets are very young and have plenty of ways of improving their rosters, they don’t need to make this kind of move. The suns are the exact opposite. I think a team like the heat or the wolves may pay a little more but they also have less options to improve. I don’t think the suns are going to get anywhere close to what some people think they will.
The Heat could match salaries using Rozier, Robinson & Kyle Anderson but I don’t know what that does for the Suns.
I hope whatever trade it turns out to be happens soon.
It’s funny, at the deadline all the media were in agreement that an extension would be part of any trade, and that’s shifted to “KD getting an extension isn’t expected”.
Suns will be very lucky to get much value. What are the Suns doing? Why trade Durant and hold onto Booker? Keeping Booker implies they’re going to still try to win… but then why trade KD?
If the Suns are making wholesale changes to their roster then they should move Booker now also, before his value takes a bigger hit. Meanwhile he probably is the bigger problem there.
Classic example of a new owner being impatient, swinging for the fences and setting a franchise back several years. I agree they should trade Booker, but I don’t think Ishiba wants to rebuild. They screwed up when they put KD into trades without him knowing it last year, now they have to move him or face a jimmy Butler disgruntled star situation.
Trading Booker when they own none of their own draft picks doesn’t make sense. A team trading for him would likely be a good/ contending team meaning those draft picks won’t be good and the suns being bad doesn’t benefit them when they have none of their own picks. If they were to trade Booker it would have to be for several young current players and what team that is contending wants to give up several young parts of their contending team.
KD has indicated he wants out, and since his contract is up at the end of the year, that matters. In any event, trading KD, at 37, is more of a reset decision (2 year look), whereas trading Booker is a full on rebuild decision (5+ year look). The problem with the latter is they don’t control their own draft picks until 2032. I’m guessing they’ll reset and consistent with that prioritize player return, not draft pick return; and if they take draft picks, they’ll probably end of trading them before making any selection.
I agree they should not get that much for KD, but this league is full of 2k-ish FO’s (and owners) who are fixated on name stars. We’ll see.
I see them hanging onto Booker this coming season and in 2027 trading him, especially if they can get a good return for KD.
I do believe they will listen on what they could get for Booker this year, unless they get overwhelmed in a Booker return I really don’t see them trading him this year but look out for 2027.
Now if Dallas, San Antonio or even Houston would offer their pick in the first round this draft plus whatever else in a package I think the Suns would seriously look at that deal.
They’ve decided they don’t want to rebuild. So, they are moving a star player to replenish the roster with younger talent, which they desperately need.
Booker fits the timeline alongside the young talent – Durant doesn’t.
Durant goes.
Hoping the Knicks don’t do it. He doesn’t deserve it after turning them down for Brooklyn. He’s entitled and self centered. Not someone I’d want disrupting the team chemistry. And his desire for a long term contract? Hard pass all together.
Been calling it for months, its important to his legacy that he goes to the knicks. No other player can say that they ruined 2 franchises in the same city!
Whoa! That makes Jason Kidd the perfect hire. He can help ruin both the Knicks & Nets but as a coach.
Kyrie derailed the nets not KD
From my perspective the Rockets and Spurs have far an away the most interesting assets the suns would be interested in. Just depends on what the suns want and what the rockets or spurs are willing to give up. If no extension is involved though then I imagine the price won’t be too crazy.
Spurs and Rockets are waiting to see if Giannis wants out of Milwaukee first. It’ll take a lot more to get him than Durant. They both certainly have the assets
Giannis is for sure the prize. It would be interesting to see what trade package Milwaukee would like more. I wrinkle would be if he asks to go somewhere specific. I think that’s the Knicks reason for going after J Kidd because he and Giannis are close so they are hoping if he asks out he will ask to go to the Knicks specifically.
Or giannis is seeing how the off-season plays out for Milwaukee before he decides. Remember dame didn’t ask out till after free agency when Portland only resigned grant. I think the Buck’s have leeway with giannis since they have done everything he has wanted the last few years.
I think it comes down to if the Suns owner is into getting younger and rebuilding. The owner over rides the last GM. The best deal to get younger are from Spurs and Rockets. The heat, knicks, and T-wolves can give them win now players.
Spurs, Rockets, and Knicks have the more feasible paths to Durant because Wolves have too much tax apron restriction
Id consider trading Booker to Rockets so they can get their own picks back plus a couple young players (some combo of Jalen green, Jabari Smith, Eason, Reed) then trade KD for picks and/or young players, then tank hard as hell for next years draft which has numerous franchise cornerstone-type prospects. Develop young guys while waiting for Beal contract to end. Makes a hell of a lot more sense then what they’ve been doing
That would imply Houston would need to cooperate. Which they don’t have to. Houston have a great young group of players to continue with. Make situational improvements, maybe consider targeting some RFAs from the strong 2021 draft year this summer or make smaller trades. And wait. Watch what happens to Phoenix; maybe those draft picks become very valuable.
Exactly. And houston is the better team here. Why would they give up the guys that make their team better for the guy who made their own team worse. Plus they’d have to give up draft picks and flexibility. It makes no sense. People are acting like the rockets would be lucky to trade half of their roster of young talent for a guy who was good, not great last season, had very little success last season, and is about to be very expensive.
Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, Jock Landale & a 2026 1st to Phx for KD would be a perfect deal for both teams.
Rockets get a huge upgrade at the 4 & add an exp, respected legend that upgrades their shooting & gives them another certified closer who they can depend on in the clutch.
Suns get some serious cap relief & add some much needed toughness to a team that sorta been lacking that ever since Morris twins left (exception of CPaul). Dillon & Jabari were a really good starting forward duo in Houston & could be even better in Phx. I say better bc Jabari could blossom into an all-star level guy given more mins/freedom/shots. They also get much needed draft capital but the opportunity to remain competitive, by acquiring 2 starting forwards, as well as shaving almost $10M off their books would all make this an attractive deal for Phx… link to m.youtube.com
Again, the $ doesn’t work on that swap.
I think it would have to be Green, Jabari & Landale.
The $ definitely works
Fanspo site says Dillon, Jabari & Jock for KD doesn’t work.
That means nothing to me. Simple math says it does work. I’m guessing you can’t find anything wrong with the actual deal & that’s why you’re wishing for it to be illegal so hard lol. Wish harder I guess.
Hah! And your ad hominem means nothing to me. The arcane nba salary rules make deals so much harder to do and so much less about actual value than about making the money “fit.”
And hence I’m only reporting from a site that purports to run the numbers. I honestly don’t have a horse in this race. I know all of that is just noise to you tho, and you just need me to say how great and original your thought was.
If you’re so adamant that the “$ doesn’t work” then say why. What is specifically illegal about Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr, Jock Landale & a 2026 1st to Phx for KD?
Do your own due diligence.
fanspo.com
Lol so you don’t know. Buddy if you don’t know what you’re talking about it’s always best to just listen & learn. Especially when dealing with me bc I really don’t mind embarrassing you.
🤦♂️. oh my. I put it on a tee for you. You clearly have no interest in doing the work. Whatever.
This is one of your less terrible takes. I’d get rid of Green before Smith though.
Speaking of terrible takes.
Just read an article that a proposed trade with the Knicks could involve four team.
Knicks get Durant
New Orleans get Towns
Washington gets PJ Tucker, 2nd round pick and a swap of a first round pick
Suns would get 3 players, 4 first round picks and a first round swap.
And who plays center for the Knicks?
The Knicks do have Robinson to play center.
Also Tucker is 40 so …,
This would be a salary move by the Knicks to fit Durant onto the roster.
That’s actually the only deal structure that could work for the NYK. It assumes they prefer KD (for 1 year, then some room to operate) to KAT (3 years). Not saying it’s a good deal for them, in light of the assets they traded for KAT and their greater need for depth, but it’s not a silly message board trade and not even irrational from a FO perspective.
Come home to dc kevin…
No to KD. If Rockets think he is great they will go backwards this upcoming season with KD. I will quit watching if they make a move for KD. He is not our missing piece. Just because he thinks can go somewhere with us. Let Dpurs have him or someone else. Stupid getting KD just to give picks back to PHX. Will lose fans too in Houston. Maybe even Spurs will. But NO for Houston pure and simple
I think people who haven’t really watched KD lately also will notice that his defense has slid a bit … I mean, he is 37!
Houston will need to do something to get scorers on their team. They have the defense to go far but not the offense. They should have gone for Fox when he was available. He would be perfect for them a PG that drives the ball and can shoot.
Fox is over rated
KD 10 years younger makes sense, especially for some of the asinine packages I have seen here. Current age KD is not the missing piece with what you would likely have to give up in return.
And the dude is gonna regress big time at some point. I wouldn’t want a $50 million contract for a horrible player.
This amazes me – everywhere this guy goes – a year later the team wants to move him – so why does anyone want him? Guarantee Suns are the source of these rumors – trying to create momentum while searching for the greater fool.
Houston should make a move for Cam in NJ and Hauser in Boston.
HOU needs shooters FIRST. They don’t need to demolish their squad an old guy.
How about a return to where it all started? Not Seattle but OKC? Especially if they win the title this season. They certainly have the assets to trade for him.