Phoenix Suns Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Kings, Holiday, Young, Wizards, Celtics, Wolves

June 20th, 2025 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Asked during a radio appearance on Sactown Sports 1140 (YouTube link) this week about the Kings‘ offseason plans and whether new general manager Scott Perry might make drastic changes to the roster, Sam Amick of The Athletic said Sacramento is exploring “a lot” of possibilities.

“I don’t know how much they’re going to overhaul the roster,” Amick said (hat tip to Brian Robb of MassLive.com). “But I think they are looking at big stuff, I think they’re looking at small stuff. The point guard pursuit is very real. I don’t know where they will land on that front. It’s kind of an ‘If only Jrue Holiday was five years younger’-type thing. I think that type of option has been considered and explored, but is imperfect because of his age.

“If you go younger, a lot of Trae Young rumors. My understanding is that there’s not interest there unless it came attached to a bunch of first-round picks.”

While Holiday has been one of the NBA’s best two-way players for years, the Celtics veteran is entering his age-35 season and is owed $104.4MM over the next three years. Young, meanwhile, is one of the NBA’s top play-makers but isn’t a great defender and lacks positional size. The Hawks guard is owed $46MM in 2025/26 and could become an unrestricted free agent a year from now if he declines a player option worth nearly $49MM.

Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:

The Wizards have explored trading up from No. 6 in the hopes of landing a long-term point guard like Dylan Harper or Jeremiah Fears and have been willing to part with “surprising names” in their conversations about the second overall pick, reports Grant Afseth of RG.org. However, those efforts have been rebuffed, with the Spurs still considered likely to hang onto that No. 2 pick. As Afseth explains, stabilizing the point guard position has become a priority for the rebuilding Wizards, who have also done extensive due diligence on point guard prospects who may be on the board at No. 18.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that it will be very difficult to convince the Celtics to move either Jaylen Brown or Derrick White this summer. “I’m sure teams are throwing crazy offers for guys like Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but it’ll take a pretty insurmountable package to get those guys out of Boston,” Charania said.
While the Timberwolves are reportedly hoping Suns forward Kevin Durant warms to the idea of playing in Minnesota, current Wolves star Anthony Edwards isn’t actively recruiting his former Olympic teammate, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears and Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today this week (YouTube link; hat tip to RealGM).

Raptors Reportedly Unwilling To Include Poeltl In Offer For Durant

June 20th, 2025 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors have interest in Kevin Durant and continue to monitor the market for the Suns star, but they would be unwilling to include starting center Jakob Poeltl in an offer for Durant, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.

Multiple sources confirmed to Grange that Poeltl wouldn’t be part of any trade the Raptors make for Durant. According to Grange, when Phoenix and Toronto spoke about Durant prior to February’s trade deadline, the Suns asked for Poeltl and received a “firm” no from the Raptors. That stance hasn’t changed in the months since then.

While there have been rumors this month about the Raptors being open to putting Poeltl in the table, Grange suggests those leaks are likely designed to increase bids from other suitors for Durant as the Suns look to maximize their return.

As Grange points out, since reacquiring Poeltl in 2023, the Raptors have struggled to compete when he’s not available. In 2024/25, for example, the club had a net rating of -0.7 during Poeltl’s 1,686 minutes of action, compared to a -6.2 mark in the 2,275 minutes he didn’t play. The gap between Toronto’s net rating with Poeltl on and off the court was even more extreme in ’23/24.

Poeltl, 29, posted new career highs of 14.5 points and 9.6 rebounds per game across 57 outings this past season, making 62.7% of his shots from the field and contributing 2.8 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 1.2 steals per night as well.

Since the Raptors are looking to build a roster capable of winning in 2025/26, trading Poeltl would run counter to that goal, leaving them with a significant hole to fill in the middle. The more likely scenario, Grange writes, is that Toronto works out a contract extension with the big man at some point before next season tips off.

Poeltl is owed $19.5MM in 2025/26, with a $19.5MM player option for ’26/27. His maximum extension would be worth up to about $122MM over four years if he declines that option as part of an agreement, or up to roughly $88MM over three years if he picks up the option and has the new deal begin in 2027.

The Raptors still have a handful of sizable contracts belonging to Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett that could be used for salary-matching purposes in a Durant deal. However, any combination of those two players would have a higher combined cap hit next season than Durant, which would complicate negotiations, since the Suns are operating above the second tax apron. They can’t take back more salary than they send out or aggregate multiple player salaries as long as they remain in second-apron territory.

International Notes: Durant, NBA Europe, Israel, Team USA U19

June 20th, 2025 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Kevin Durant – a current member of the Suns who could be traded to a new NBA team in a matter of days – has invested in Paris Saint-Germain via Qatar Sports Investments, as Adam Crafton and Joe Vardon of The Athletic detail.

Known primarily for its soccer teams, Paris Saint-Germain also has professional handball and judo teams under its umbrella. Despite the fact that there’s already a Paris-based club in the EuroLeague, PSG is looking into the possibility of establishing a basketball team of its own as part of the NBA’s foray into Europe.

According to The Athletic’s report, Durant will consult on Paris Saint-Germain’s potential plans to expand into basketball.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the international basketball world:

Speaking of NBA Europe, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic checks in on where things stand with the project, noting that the relationship between the NBA and EuroLeague appears to have “thawed” to some extent as of late. That could bode well for some sort of professional partnership between the two entities. “It is becoming more obvious that we have to work together,” EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas told The Athletic after meeting recently with the NBA. “I believe it is the first meeting of many where we should find ways to grow basketball. FIBA’s wishes are clear and simple and easy to get to. So it is up to both leagues to find ways to grow European basketball. Our history and fan base and teams would be a strong backbone to build on.”
Basketball activities in Israel have halted for the time being due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, per Alessandro Maggi of Sportando. Israel’s domestic league, which was in the midst of its finals between Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, had its season cut short without declaring a champion. It’s also unclear if Israel will be able to send a team to Switzerland for the upcoming U19 FIBA World Cup later this month.
USA Basketball has officially announced its roster for that U19 2025 World Cup, with A.J. Dybantsa – a contender to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 – and Tyran Stokes – ESPN’s top-ranked prospect in the 2026 recruiting class – among the group’s headliners. The tournament will take place in Lausanne, Switzerland from June 28 to July 6.

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.”

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.

Draft Notes: Robinson, Flagg, Bailey, Dixon

June 18th, 2025 at 9:27pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Former senior Kentucky forward Jaxson Robinson, who spent the first part of the pre-draft process rehabilitating a right wrist injury that required surgery, has several workouts on his plate this week, reports Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

According to Rankin, Robinson has already worked out for the has workouts on tap with the Lakers, Cavaliers, Celtics and Suns after having already auditioned for the Warriors and Kings.

“Try to knock them all out before the draft,” Robinson said of his workout schedule. “It’s been tough since I’ve been injured, but just getting these last workouts in, trying to get my face in front of people so they can see me again.”

There’s more out ahead of the 2025 draft:

Five-year Villanova star Eric Dixon will have a pre-draft workout with the Suns, Rankin writes for The Arizona Republic. Phoenix holds the Nos. 29 and 52 picks in this year’s draft. An All-American Third Teamer in 2024/25 and Villanova’s all-time leading scorer, Dixon reflected on how he thrived with the Wildcats. “It’s the kind of people that Villanova helps mold,” he said. “Villanova recruits a certain type of guy. They also can mold and make you a certain type of person.”
One-and-done Duke forward Cooper Flagg, a lock to be the No. 1 pick in this month’s draft, touched down in Dallas earlier this week and is conducting a 48-hour visit with the Mavericks, who own that No. 1 selection, notes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscriber link). Given that Flagg is the anticipated top pick, he has no plans to meet with any other team before next week’s draft.
Former Rutgers standout Airious “Ace” Bailey has emerged as the most confounding of this year’s anticipated lottery players, writes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com. Bailey has yet to have workouts with any NBA club so far, in a surprising move, although he is set to show off his skills for the Sixers this week. Philadelphia possesses the No. 3 selection.

Grizzlies Reportedly Not Pursuing Kevin Durant

June 18th, 2025 at 3:30pm CST by Rory Maher

Forbes contributor Evan Sidery reported this afternoon (via Twitter) that the Grizzlies had reemerged as a suitor for Suns star Kevin Durant after the team made a run at the 36-year-old forward prior to February’s deadline.

However, Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal — a Grizzlies beat reporter — has heard differently (Twitter link). Citing league sources, Cole writes that while the Grizzlies contemplated making an offer for Durant during the season, they are not currently interested in the 15-time All-Star and do not intend to pursue him this offseason.

Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) reported something similar to Cole a couple days ago, saying he didn’t expect the Grizzlies to get involved in the Durant chase, even though they have a fresh collection of draft assets from Sunday’s Desmond Bane trade. Memphis was reluctant to pursue Jimmy Butler before the deadline because of fears that he wouldn’t sign an extension, Fischer noted, and Durant is probably viewed the same way.

While the team may not pursue Durant, rival teams are curious about which players general manager Zach Kleiman will target with the first-round picks Memphis acquired in the Bane deal, according to Fischer, who says creating the cap room necessary to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. is still a “priority” for the Grizzlies.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype confirms that signing Jackson to a new deal remains important to the Grizzlies. Wing John Konchar, who will make $12.33MM over the next two seasons, is viewed as a candidate to be traded in a salary-dump move to create more cap flexibility, league sources tell Scotto.

One of the selections Memphis acquired for Bane was No. 16 overall in next week’s draft. Cole lists five “defensive-minded wings” the Grizzlies might target if they keep that pick, including Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm), Cedric Coward (Washington State), and Nique Clifford (Colorado State).

Heat Notes: Durant, Wiggins, Ware, Burks

June 17th, 2025 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Heat remain engaged with the Suns on forward Kevin Durant, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 stated during a radio appearance on Monday that Miami’s offer isn’t where it needs to be to seriously entice Phoenix.

“I have to preface this by saying that offers change. (But) right now, this is what I know, this is as of today. Miami wouldn’t be able to get a deal done today,” Gambadoro said (Twitter video link). “Deals change. You go back to the table, you go back to the drawing board. If you want the guy really bad, you then take guys out (of the offer) and add other guys, or add more draft capital.”

Gambadoro went on to say that the Suns probably aren’t very interested in taking back Andrew Wiggins, who is coming off a down year and is owed more than $58MM over the next two seasons (Twitter video link). He also suggested he’s not sure how much Kel’el Ware would move the needle for Phoenix, though he acknowledged that Miami would be improving its chances of landing Durant by adding the young big man to its offer.

For what it’s worth, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic wrote today that the Suns are struggling to gain leverage in their trade negotiations due to Durant’s age, contract situation, and desire for a fresh start with a new team. Phoenix may have to lower its asking price in order to get a deal done, according to Rankin.

Here’s more on the Heat:

While Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are obviously off limits in the Durant trade talks, no one on the Heat’s roster should be considered entirely untouchable for the right player, draft asset, or combination of both, says Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman runs through the players currently under contract with Miami, evaluating their trade value and considering what sort of scenarios it would take to move them.
In two more stories for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman explains why Durant having the Heat on his wish list only means so much and argues that Miami should set a self-imposed deadline to either acquire Durant or move onto other pursuits.
During an appearance on Tuesday at a Miami-area basketball camp, veteran guard Alec Burks said he remains focused on re-signing with the Heat this offseason and would love to reach an agreement with the team before the end of the month, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald relays. “I just like being here,” Burks said. “I like the city. The city shows me a lot of love and my family, I like the organization, everybody I work with. It’s just a great place to be for this stage of my career. I like being here.” Playing on a minimum-salary contract in 2024/25, Burks averaged 7.3 points in 17.6 minutes per game across 49 outings, with a career-high 42.5% mark on three-point tries.

Suns, Wolves Hoping Durant Warms To Minnesota Possibility

June 17th, 2025 at 8:08am CST by Luke Adams

Shams Charania of ESPN reported on Monday that Kevin Durant has “no desire” to be traded to the Timberwolves, but the Suns and Wolves are still hoping he’ll warm to the idea, league sources tell Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.

Durant doesn’t have the ability to veto a trade, so Phoenix and Minnesota would be free to work out an agreement that sends the former MVP to the Timberwolves, even if he’s unwilling to immediately sign an extension with his new team.

However, after advancing to the Western Conference Finals in each of the past two seasons, the Wolves are reluctant to make a significant roster change if the incoming star isn’t on board, according to Amick and Krawczynski, who note that Rudy Gobert‘s enthusiasm for Minnesota was one reason president of basketball operations Tim Connelly gave up a substantial haul to acquire the big man in 2022.

As The Athletic’s duo writes, the Wolves believed when they spoke with the Suns at the trade deadline in February that Durant was open to playing in Minnesota, given his friendship with Anthony Edwards, his D.C.-area ties with Connelly, and the opportunity to team up with Jaden McDaniels, whose defensive prowess would reduce the pressure on KD at that end of the court. However, the Wolves have been made aware during their recent discussions with the Suns that Durant wants to play elsewhere.

Durant reportedly prefers to end up with the Spurs, Rockets, or Heat – and San Antonio may be atop that list, per The Athletic – but the offers from those teams haven’t been especially compelling from the Suns’ perspective, as Amick and Krawczynski explain. If Durant were more enthusiastic about Minnesota, the Wolves could feel more confident about making an aggressive play for him, which may in turn inspire another suitor to increase its bid.

“Phoenix is trying to drum up better offers,” one rival executive told The Athletic.

The Rockets have had “meaningful” talks with the Suns about Durant and have put a firm offer on the table, but Phoenix was underwhelmed by that proposal, according to Amick and Krawczynski, who hear from league sources that San Antonio has been “conservative” in its pursuit of the 15-time All-Star.

As for the Heat, it’s unclear whether they have the right pieces to really entice the Suns, since salary-matching veterans such as Andrew Wiggins and/or Duncan Robinson are unlikely to hold significant appeal to Phoenix.

While the Suns are said to have interest in Gobert, it remains to be seen whether the Timberwolves would be willing to put the four-time Defensive Player of the Year into their offer for Durant, The Athletic’s duo notes. The Wolves would likely be even more hesitant to put Gobert on the table if Durant remains opposed to the idea of becoming a Timberwolf.

Shams: KD Has ‘No Desire’ To Be Traded To Timberwolves

June 16th, 2025 at 5:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Appearing on SportsCenter (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania said Suns star Kevin Durant has no interest in joining the team that is rumored to be the most aggressive in pursuit of him.

“I’m told Durant has no desire to be in Minnesota with the Timberwolves,” Charania said. “So how does that shape how the Minnesota Timberwolves and other teams that could have interest, that are outside of his preferred list, decide how to move forward with these Durant discussions?”

In an NBA Today appearance that included Charania, Brian Windhorst and Marc J. Spears (YouTube link), Charania indicated the Suns have some interest in Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Windhorst anticipated that the Timberwolves’ trade offer for Durant could drop if they’re unsure about their ability to sign him to an extension. According to Spears, Durant had the Knicks at the top of his wish list but the Knicks weren’t interested in pursuing him, so the Rockets, Heat and Spurs became his fallback options.

The Suns obviously don’t need Durant’s permission to trade him to the Timberwolves, but mutual respect between Phoenix’s front office and the longtime All-Star could play a role in where he winds up. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link) speculates that Durant and his rep may need to strongly discourage a team such as Minnesota from trading for him in order for him to land at a preferred destination.

Windhorst also previously identified the Raptors and Clippers as teams that are “lurking” in the Durant trade saga.

As for the Spurs, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype names Jeremy Sochan, as well as Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson, as players who could be obtained on the trade market. Sochan, who averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists this season, is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason. Throwing a 22-year-old player into the mix could sweeten the offer for Durant from San Antonio’s perspective.