Rockets Rumors

Latest On Kevin Durant Trade

June 23rd, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant had reason to believe that a trade was close before news broke Sunday that he was headed to the Rockets, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. Durant was in the midst of an interview with reporter Kay Adams at Fanatics Fest in New York City when audience members saw the first reports of the deal on their phones (Twitter video link).

“I had an idea (about the trade), but I didn’t know exactly when it was going to happen,” Durant said. “You know, when people can just hang your career in the balance like that and then just choose what they want to do with your career, it’s a nerve-wracking feeling but being able to kind of dictate what you want to do and being with a team that values you, I’m looking forward to it.”

Durant is being counted on to bring much-needed scoring punch to Houston and turn the team into a legitimate title contender. The Rockets won 52 games and claimed the second seed in the West this season, but their inability to generate half-court offense was exposed in a first-round loss to Golden State.

Houston was among three teams on Durant’s list of preferred landing spots, and he admitted to Adams that he played a role in determining where he ended up.

“Most definitely, yeah,” he said. “(The Suns) asked me where I wanted to go, some of my destinations. I gave it to them and here we are.”

Durant is looking forward to a new start after a disappointing two-plus seasons in Phoenix. There was hope that he could take the Suns back to the NBA Finals after being acquired from Brooklyn at the 2023 trade deadline, but they only won a single playoff series during his time there and fell short of the play-in tournament this season.

Durant countered Adams’ suggestion that “there’s a lot of heartbroken Suns fans.”

“I doubt that,” Durant said. “They wanted me to go so I’m glad they got what they wanted and I got what I wanted. We can move on, good luck to them going forward, and I’ll always remember my time there.”

There’s more on the Durant deal:

The trade that was reported Sunday could get “much larger” before it becomes official on July 6, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. He notes that the Suns have nearly two weeks to negotiate deals with other teams involving Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or any of the draft assets they’re getting from Houston. Meanwhile, the Rockets could pick up their $4.9MM option on Aaron Holiday and guarantee Jock Landale‘s $8MM deal for next season to help match salaries while adding another player from a third team. Cap expert Yossi Gozlan also believes there’s a “strong chance” the deal will be expanded to include more teams (Twitter link).
The Suns may have considered the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft to be more valuable than the 2027 and 2029 Phoenix picks that Houston also holds, Hollinger adds. The Suns are looking for immediate help, and Hollinger notes that finding a contributor in the draft would take away some of the worst-case scenarios they might be facing. Phoenix may also put more stock in having a guaranteed lottery pick right now than a possible high selection later on. Hollinger also points out that keeping the Suns’ future picks frees up the Rockets to move their own first-rounders in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2032 if the chance arises to land another major star.
The Spurs had been considered among the favorites to trade for Durant and were one of the teams on his list, but they never made an offer, according to Phoenix sports talk show host John Gambadoro (Twitter link).
Handing out grades for the deal, ESPN’S NBA insiders give the Rockets a B+ and the Suns a B.

Lottery Pick Facilitated Durant Trade

June 22nd, 2025 at 8:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets’ willingness to give up their lottery pick in this week’s draft played a significant role in the agreed-upon Kevin Durant blockbuster with the Suns, Kelly Iko and Sam Amick report.

The Rockets refused to give the Suns’ 2027 and 2029 first-round selections, which Houston controls via prior trades, back to Phoenix. Those picks were sent to Brooklyn in the February 2023 Durant deal and the Rockets acquired them in a June 2024 deal with the Nets.

However, the Rockets had found it difficult to bring in top prospects for workouts this spring due to the possibility of a Durant deal. The Suns believe they can draft a player at that spot who can be an immediate contributor.

The trade between the clubs was the culmination of weeks-long discussions, though the two sides hadn’t talked for a week before the conversations were reignited on Thursday. Rockets general manager Rafael Stone refused to part with most of his young players, including Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. Efforts were made to add other trade partners to the mix but that didn’t gain any footing, so it became a straight two-team swap.

Jalen Green, who struggled in the postseason, became increasingly aware he could be part of a potential package, even though he preferred to stay put. He received word that he was being dealt approximately an hour before the deal was first reported.

According to Phoenix sports talk show host John Gambadoro, the Rockets were willing to give up Smith prior to the February trade deadline. They offered Smith and Green without any draft picks for Durant at that time (Twitter link).

While there were numerous reports in recent months that the Rockets were unwilling to break up their young core, they eventually warmed to the idea of making an all-in move. The prospect of adding a dynamic scorer and proven postseason performer like Durant was seen as their best win-now option, according to The Athletic duo. There’s a strong belief that the Durant-Rockets partnership will extend beyond next season, even if he doesn’t sign an extension right away next month.

Houston head coach Ime Udoka, who recently received an extension, was a strong behind-the-scenes advocate for adding Durant, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack post. Udoka, who overlapped with Durant in Brooklyn, has a close friendship with the star forward.

With both Green and Dillon Brooks included in the trade, a starting spot should open up in Houston for Smith, who was moved to the second unit for a portion of the season. Amen Thompson, who replaced Smith in the lineup, will join Fred VanVleet in the backcourt. The Rockets hold a $44.9MM option on VanVleet’s contract, with a decision due in the next week.

Durant expressed excitement when asked by Kay Adams at Fanatics Fest in New York about the trade, ESPN’s Shams Charania relays.

“Being part of the Houston Rockets, I’m looking forward to it,” Durant said. “Crazy, crazy last couple weeks, but I’m glad it’s over with.”

Suns Notes: Beal, Green, Wild-Card Suitors, Lanier, Durant, Cousins

June 22nd, 2025 at 7:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With the Suns agreeing to trade Kevin Durant to the Rockets, Phoenix radio talk show host John Gambadoro continues to believe the team will either trade or buy out Bradley Beal, he said on The Kevin O’Connor Show (Twitter video link).

Of course, Beal has a no-trade clause and would have to agree to waive it for a deal to be made. If the Suns are unable to trade or buy out Beal, then they’d have to hope he could rebuild his value on the court. Gambadoro previously noted that head coaching candidates were asked how they would utilize Beal if he’s still on the roster.

Cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link) looks back at the buyouts of Kemba Walker and Blake Griffin in recent seasons as examples of what Beal might be willing to give back, presuming the three-time All-Star could receive a full non-taxpayer mid-level exception deal elsewhere. If Beal were willing to give up 25 percent of his current contract with two years left, the cap hits for the Suns would total $40.25MM and $42.85MM.

Here’s more on the Suns:

While the Suns now seemingly have two combo guards with similar skills, they are not planning to move Jalen Green, Gambadoro tweets. Instead, the Suns will look to pair him with Devin Booker in the backcourt and see how they’ll mesh. Green has shown durability, appearing in every game over the past two seasons. He averaged 21.0 points and 3.4 assists this season.
While Durant negotiations were primarily focused on the Heat, Rockets and Timberwolves, several wild-card suitors emerged, including the Raptors, Cavaliers, Nuggets and Clippers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The Cavs, in particular, were a long shot since they would have needed to send out enough salary to get under the second apron for 2025/26. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been allowed to aggregate salaries. Since the Suns are also a second-apron team, a deal between Phoenix and Cleveland would have required the involvement of at least one more club.
Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier worked out for the Suns on Friday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic tweets. Lanier set the Volunteers’ single season record for made three-pointers with 123 this past season. He’s ranked No. 38 overall on ESPN’s Best Available list. The Suns own the 29th and 52nd picks in addition to the 10th and 59th selections they’re acquiring from Houston.
Earlier in the weekend, Durant brushed off a comment by former NBA center DeMarcus Cousins, who claimed on Fan Duel’s Run It Back show that there were “fistfights” in the Suns locker room. As Rankin relays, Durant responded on social media that Cousins’ source for that claim was “lying” and that there were “NEVER” any locker room fights.

Texas Notes: Wemby, Durant, Rockets, Flagg

June 22nd, 2025 at 2:10pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

All-Star Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been maximizing his summer. The 7’4″ big man, whose 2024/25 sophomore season was cut short early by a blood clot issue, spent two weeks with monks at Shaolin Temple in China.

Reflecting on the stint during an appearance on “The Shop” with Lakers All-Star LeBron James, former seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and streamer Kai Cenat, Wembanyama spoke fondly of his time abroad, writes Larry Holder of The Athletic.

“It was a great experience,” Wembanyama said. “My goal going there was putting my body through things that it’s not used to doing and allowing my range of movement and strength. This was probably as very different as possible from what I’m used to doing.”

There’s more out of the Lone Star State:

The Spurs were considered a potential Kevin Durant suitor and were said to be among his preferred landing spots, but he’ll join one of San Antonio’s division rivals instead. According to Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required), the Spurs’ refusal to include either the No. 2 overall pick or Stephon Castle in their offer is believed to have prompted Phoenix to look elsewhere. Multiple reports indicated San Antonio wasn’t one of the teams engaged in serious trade talks with the Suns.
The Rockets‘ decision to trade Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft and five future second rounders for Durant should give Houston the go-to scorer the team has been missing and will create more lineup optionality for head coach Ime Udoka, write Doug Haller, Sam Amick, and Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The Rockets’ elite defense and Durant’s offensive weapons make them a “match made in heaven,” The Athletic adds.
The Mavericks control the top pick in this week’s impending draft and are expected to use it on superstar Duke forward Cooper Flagg. The 6’8″ phenom’s longtime trainer, Matt MacKenzie, recently raved to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link) about Flagg’s relentless drive and stunning aptitude. “You only had to tell him something once and he was immediately starting to apply it into drill work,” MacKenzie told Curtis, “and then I would watch his games and he would immediately start to try to apply it into his game. So there was just an incredibly steep learning curve. He was able to pick up on things quickly. It was very natural to him.”

Rockets Trading For Suns’ Kevin Durant

June 22nd, 2025 at 12:30pm CST by Rory Maher

The Rockets are acquiring Kevin Durant from the Suns in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the 10th pick in the 2025 draft, and five second-rounders, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

The Heat were the other finalist for Durant, sources tell Charania.

According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who reported this morning that Phoenix was “very close” to trading Durant, the second-round selections the Suns will receive are the 59th pick in this year’s draft, two picks in 2026, Boston’s selection in 2030, and Houston’s pick in 2032.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, the blockbuster trade cannot be formally completed until July 6 due to the poison pill provision affecting Green’s rookie scale extension.

Durant, who turns 37 years old in September, has been on the trade block for months after Phoenix nearly sent him to Golden State prior to the February deadline, a move that reportedly fell apart after the former NBA MVP didn’t want to return to the Warriors, especially during the season. Four months later, he’ll be heading to Houston, one of three teams said to be on his wish list, along with San Antonio and Miami.

Although Durant will be entering his 19th NBA season this fall, he continues to perform at an All-NBA level. In 62 games for the Suns this past season, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 36.5 minutes per game, with an impressive shooting line of .527/.430/.839.

In Durant, Houston now has a star capable of creating his own shot and generating half-court offense, which was an issue for the team during its first-round playoff loss to Golden State this spring. While Green was Houston’s leading scorer during the regular season, he struggled in his first appearance on the postseason stage — he poured in 38 points in Game 2 but failed to score more than 12 points in any of the series’ other six games.

Still, Green is just 23 years old, so he has the potential to continue improving and expanding his game after averaging 20.1 points per contest on .422/.342/.799 shooting in his first four NBA seasons.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link), although Jabari Smith Jr. was among the young Rockets players the Suns were reportedly interested in, Houston was insistent on only doing a Durant trade if Green was the only member of its young core it gave up.

Phoenix now has a crowded shooting guard depth chart, with Green joining Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the roster, but Gambadoro tweets that there are no plans to flip Green to another team and that he’ll play alongside Booker in the Suns’ backcourt. There has been an expectation that Beal won’t return to the club next season, though his contract (which includes a no-trade clause) will make him difficult to move.

Besides Green, the Suns are also adding a solid defensive wing in Brooks and a lottery pick in this week’s draft, which will put them in position to add another promising young prospect to their core.

Durant will be on an expiring $54.7MM contract, so the Rockets will likely make an effort to extend his deal beyond 2025/26. As Marks tweets, the star forward will be eligible for a two-year extension worth roughly $122MM as of July 6. If he were to wait six months, his maximum extension would be worth a little more, though the difference would be minimal (approximately $2MM).

Green’s three-year, $105.3MM rookie scale extension will go into effect this July. That deal includes a third-year player option and a 10% trade kicker, though that bonus will likely have to be eliminated or amended in order to make this trade work, Marks notes.

Brooks, who is on a descending contract, is owed about $41.1MM in base salary over the next two seasons, with an additional $2MM in incentives ($1MM per year) for making the first round of the playoffs.

Because Houston achieved that feat this season and Phoenix didn’t, that bonus will change from “likely to be earned” to “unlikely” as a result of the trade, reducing Brooks’ 2025/26 cap hit by $1MM. That will be a key to making the trade legal for the Suns, who can’t take back more salary than they send out as long as they continue to operate over the second tax apron, Marks adds (via Twitter).

According to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links), the Heat improved their offer for Durant in recent days and received consideration from the Suns, but their offer ultimately couldn’t compete with Houston’s. Jackson suggests Miami was unwilling to include multiple first-round picks and young players in its package, while Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link) hears that the Heat’s unwillingness to include center Kel’el Ware was among the sticking points that led to Phoenix going in a different direction.

The Timberwolves were also involved in the Durant sweepstakes, but with no assurances from Durant that he actually wanted to be in Minnesota, they seemingly didn’t get all that close to making a deal, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

The Spurs, Raptors, and Clippers were among the other teams who were said to have interest in Durant before the Suns reached an agreement with the Rockets.

Luke Adams contributed to this story.

Kevin Durant Trade Talks Between Suns, Rockets At Impasse

June 21st, 2025 at 6:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets are considered to be among the favorites to trade for Kevin Durant, and they’re one of three teams on Durant’s list of preferred destinations that was leaked to the media last weekend. However, during an appearance Friday on The Athletic NBA Daily podcast, reporter Sam Amick revealed that the Rockets and Suns haven’t discussed a Durant deal in several days (hat tip to Ben DuBose of Rockets Wire).

“I was told yesterday (Thursday) that Houston hadn’t talked to Phoenix since last week, and that call didn’t go particularly well,” Amick said. “That could have changed by now, again that’s as of yesterday. They would love to have KD, but it’s on their price.”

Phoenix appears to be at a standoff with several teams while working to close a Durant deal before the first night of the draft on Wednesday. The Suns have reportedly been underwhelmed by offers from the Rockets, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves, Raptors and others, believing they’re not getting enough in return for a player of Durant’s value.

A report earlier this week from Amick and Jon Krawczynski stated that Houston has made a “firm offer” for Durant. Although the details of that offer haven’t been revealed, it may be as high as general manager Rafael Stone is willing to go under the circumstances.

Even though Durant is still producing at an All-Star level, his age and contract situation are limiting what rival teams are willing to give up. He’ll turn 37 in September and is entering the final year of his current deal at $54.7MM. He’ll be eligible for a two-year extension with his new team, but has communicated that he’ll only consider signing long-term with Houston, San Antonio or Miami.

DuBose states that Stone would love to trade for Durant, but only if the deal serves the team’s short-term and long-term interests. He won’t mortgage the future for a player nearing the end of his career, so he’s hoping the Suns’ asking price will eventually go down.

On the Burns and Gambo Show (audio link), Suns insider John Gambadoro reported that Phoenix is unlikely to agree to a Durant deal with Houston unless Jabari Smith Jr. is included (hat tip to Evan Sidery of Forbes). Gambadoro also indicated that the Suns are willing to extend trade talks beyond the draft if they don’t get an offer they like.

Latest From Fischer, Stein: KD, Suns, Ware, Raptors, Knicks, Donovan

June 21st, 2025 at 10:37am CST by Rory Maher

The Suns continue to project confidence that a trade involving star forward Kevin Durant will be agreed to before June 25, the first night of the 2025 NBA draft, sources tell Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).

According to the authors, Phoenix’s front office — led by new general manager Brian Gregory — is “quietly hopeful” it will be able to land a first-round pick in a potential Durant deal to use next Wednesday. The team currently controls one late first-rounder (No. 29 overall) and one late second-rounder (No. 52).

Fischer and Stein point to the first-round selections controlled by the Raptors (No. 9), Rockets (No. 10), Timberwolves (No. 17) and Heat (No. 20) as examples of some of the picks the Suns have tried to acquire in Durant trade talks. But they also haven’t been thrilled with the offers they’ve received to this point, which is why a deal has yet to come together.

Here’s more from The Stein Line duo:

The Heat have been “firmly against” including big man Kel’el Ware in their offers to the Suns for Durant, sources tell Fischer and Stein. The 15th pick of last year’s draft, Ware was named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2024/25 after a solid debut season. Phoenix is believed to be prioritizing draft capital from Miami with Ware evidently off-limits.
Fischer and Stein confirm that the Raptors also are unwilling to part with starting center Jakob Poeltl to acquire Durant. Assuming he isn’t moved, league sources tell The Stein Line that Toronto and the Austrian big man have mutual interest in a contract extension “in the near future.”
Toronto continues to be active in trade talks, particularly when it comes to the draft. According to Fischer and Stein, the Raptors have expressed an openness to moving down from No. 9, but have also discussed the possibility of trying to add a second lottery pick. No matter which pick(s) they ultimately control, rival teams believe the Raptors are focused on drafting a center.
The Knicks are not expected to hire a head coach until after next week’s draft, which will take place over two days (the second round is on Thursday), one person familiar with the matter told The Stein Line. Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins interviewed for the job this week and both of the former head coaches are believed to have “levels of support” in New York. According to Fischer and Stein, Brown is said to be close with executive William Wesley, while Jenkins reportedly impressed the team in his interview.
Although New York was denied permission to interview Billy Donovan, the Bulls claim their extension talks with their head coach preceded that request, per Fischer and Stein. “They love him,” one source familiar with management’s thinking said of Chicago’s fondness for Donovan. Stein first reported that the Bulls and Donovan were finalizing an extension.
In case you missed it, Fischer and Stein also reported that multiple teams have shown interest in Suns wing Cody Martin as part of the Durant trade talks.

Latest On Kevin Durant

June 19th, 2025 at 4:28pm CST by Rory Maher

Evidently Phoenix isn’t thrilled with the trade offers the team has received for Kevin Durant to this point.

Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said that while several teams have expressed interest in the 36-year-old forward, none have been willing to give the Suns the type of return package they’re looking for.

“The Suns know if they’re going to trade Kevin Durant, they clearly have a price threshold they want met,” Charania said. “I had one team tell me today that it’s kind of a game of chicken at this point. From the Rockets, to the Heat, to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s literally one or two pieces away (from getting a deal done).

“But at the end of the day, one of these teams has to meet that threshold to get something done. The NBA draft is about a week away. So could this go into the NBA draft? For sure. But I don’t think the Suns want it to, I don’t think the other teams want it to. … My understanding is they’re in active conversations with those three teams, specifically, on trying to get a deal done for Kevin Durant. … I would also not be surprised if this (involves three or four teams).”

Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald confirms (via Twitter) that the Heat are currently unwilling to meet Phoenix’s asking price for Durant, but it’s possible that could change.

According to Charania (Twitter video link), the Suns are very much willing to make a trade that does not involve the Spurs, Rockets or Heat, who are reportedly at the top of Durant’s list of preferred destinations. But Durant also has a degree of leverage, since he could be a free agent in 2026 — he’s on an expiring contract, which will pay him $54.7MM next season.

Charania also touched on the Spurs’ interest in Durant, which sounds somewhat tepid (Twitter video link).

“(The No. 2 pick) I don’t see going anywhere,” Charania reported. “I think the Spurs feel really good about No. 2. Dylan Harper, he’s already been to the Spurs’ facilities, met them in San Antonio earlier this month. But you know, you never know with the draft. But that’s what it looks like right now.

“… My feel right now is that the Spurs, they have interest in Kevin Durant. They have talked to the Suns — to my understanding — about Kevin Durant. But there is a certain price threshold they’ll go to for a guy like Kevin Durant, and if that price doesn’t align with Phoenix’s, then clearly, there’s just not going to be a deal.”

Charania went on to suggest that the Spurs are likely waiting to use their stockpile of assets on a player who would better fit their timeline, assuming such a player becomes available in the future.

Sam Amick of The Athletic also discussed the Durant situation on FanDuel’s Run It Back show (Twitter video link). According to Amick, the Spurs appear to be the top team on Durant’s wish list.

“(The Suns) clearly don’t like what they’re hearing from San Antonio, Houston and Miami,” Amick said. “And I keep making the distinction, those three teams are not created equal on the list. Kevin has made it clear in different conversations — at times, anyway — that he was really focused on the Spurs. They’re not showing a ton of incentive to get a deal done. It’s one of those things where, if you want to give him to us on our terms, where we don’t really give up a lot, then that would be great.

“Phase two, to me, of these talks is that the Suns clearly like what they could get out of Minnesota. But the Wolves are not gonna play that game at all unless they are confident that Kevin wants to come. And you can tell that Phoenix is kind of trying to nudge him in that direction and compel him to add a fourth team to his list.

“So that, to me, is the interesting dynamic: Does he change his stance on Minnesota?” Amick continued. “If not, when do (the Suns) come off of that and maybe look harder at Miami or one of these other situations. So I still feel like we’re a little ways away.”

Rockets To Sign Coach Ime Udoka To Contract Extension

June 19th, 2025 at 11:27am CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Ime Udoka has agreed to a long-term extension with the Rockets, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, Udoka’s new extension will make him one of the highest-paid coaches in the NBA. Kelly Iko of The Athletic confirms (via Twitter) that Udoka has agreed to a multiyear deal.

A former NBA wing, Udoka has led Houston to a dramatic turnaround over the past two seasons. The team won just 17, 20 and 22 games in the three years prior to Udoka’s arrival in 2023, but in 2023/24 — his first season at the helm — he guided the club to a .500 record (41-41).

That upward trajectory continued this season, as the Rockets went 52-30 and earned the No. 2 seed in a highly competitive Western Conference. The young team was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round, losing to Golden State in seven games.

After retiring as a player, Udoka spent seven years an assistant with San Antonio before one-year stints in Philadelphia and Brooklyn. He was hired as Boston’s head coach in 2021 and had an impressive first season in ’21/22, with the Celtics going 51-31 and advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, eventually losing to the Warriors in six games.

While he was technically still under contract with the Celtics in ’22/23, Udoka didn’t coach at all, having been suspended for the entire season for violating team policies — he reportedly had an affair with a member of the team’s staff.

The 47-year-old’s time with the Celtics ended in February 2023, when the team promoted Joe Mazzulla to be the permanent head coach. Udoka was hired by the Rockets a couple months later, signing a four-year contract at that time.

The Knicks reportedly asked the Rockets for permission to interview Udoka for their head coaching vacancy last week, but that request was was denied. Now, Udoka has agreed to a long-term extension to remain with Houston.

Stein/Fischer’s Latest: Durant, DeRozan, Kuminga, Sixers, Yabusele, Flagg

June 19th, 2025 at 8:05am CST by Arthur Hill

Potential moves around the NBA are on hold as the league waits for the Suns to finalize a Kevin Durant trade, according to Mark Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link).

They mention Kings forward DeMar DeRozan as a player who could be a “fallback trade target” for unsuccessful Durant suitors and cite a report from James Ham of The Kings Beat, who said on his podcast this week that the Heat may be among the teams that pursue DeRozan.

Sources tell Stein and Fischer that Miami has previously expressed interest in forward Jonathan Kuminga, who’s about to become a restricted free agent, and could become a sign-and-trade partner for the Warriors, echoing a report earlier this week from Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

After weeks of speculation, there still doesn’t appear to be a clear favorite to land Durant, who’s widely expected to be dealt before the first night of the NBA draft on Wednesday. Stein and Fischer state that the Spurs and Rockets haven’t seen a need to increase their offers, being reluctant to add an older player to their young cores and knowing that Phoenix wants to resolve the situation quickly. The Timberwolves are still interested, but are hesitant to go all in with their offer without some indication that Durant would consider an extension.

Stein and Fischer share more inside information from around the league:

A source tells the authors that the Sixers are currently expected to hold onto their No. 3 pick in the draft. They add that Philadelphia is still interested in trading up with San Antonio to grab Rutgers guard Dylan Harper, but the Spurs appear set on keeping the No. 2 selection. The report on the Sixers’ plans came before news broke late Wednesday that Ace Bailey has called off his scheduled workout with the team.
Stein and Fischer point out that the guaranteed contract for the No. 3 choice will add an $11.1MM salary to the Sixers‘ books next season. Sources tell them that Philadelphia plans to operate either near or above the second apron as they hope for improved health from Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey. Stein and Fischer expect Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond and Eric Gordon to all pick up their player options, and sources tell them that re-signing Quentin Grimes remains an offseason priority. They add that it will become “increasingly challenging” to retain big man Guerschon Yabusele, who’s expected to draw strong interest on the free agent market.
Stein and Fischer hear that Cooper Flagg was “impressive” this week as he traveled to Dallas to meet with general manager Nico Harrison, coach Jason Kidd and other Mavericks officials. Flagg also worked out for about an hour, displaying the skills that have made him a lock to be the No. 1 pick.

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