Kevin Durant sent shockwaves through the NBA world when he was traded from the Nets to the Suns ahead of the 2023 NBA trade deadline. Could he be on the move less than a season-and-a-half later?
The Suns had an early playoff exit in 2024, which has fueled speculation that the team could try to retool around Devin Booker. That could involve moving on from the 35-year-old Durant, who still has two years and nearly $ 106 million remaining on his contract.
Phoenix may not be ready to give up on its “Big 3” of Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal. They added a new coach to the fold in Mike Budenholzer, so giving him at least a season with the trio seems prudent.
Nonetheless, several NBA teams could try to pry Durant away from the Suns. At the very least, his name will be bandied about on the rumor mill until he or Phoenix says he’s staying for good.
Here are the latest trade rumors surrounding Kevin Durant as he prepares to play his 18th NBA season.
MORE: Why Rockets trade with Nets is fueling Kevin Durant trade speculation
Kevin Durant trade rumors tracker
Suns ‘want out of Kevin Durant right now’
Date: June 26
Source: ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith
While ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski insisted the Suns don’t want to break up their core just yet, his co-worker Stephen A. Smith is hearing the opposite.
“Pay no attention to what Phoenix is saying,” Smith explained on ESPN’s ‘First Take.’ “They want out of Kevin Durant right now.”
If that’s the case, then why aren’t the Rockets making a move to get Durant? Houston may not actually want the 35-year-old All-Star, per Smith. They have their eyes on another Phoenix target.
“Houston does not want Kevin Durant.” Smith said. “Ime Udoka may want him, but organizationally, they know that they are not there yet. So, their plans are more long-range, and they would prefer a Devin Booker, who they know that there’s a slim chance that they’ll get, but that would be their preference.”
Booker is just 27 years old, so it’s easy to understand why the Rockets would feel that way. However, it seems unlikely that the Suns will move on from Booker barring a total tear-down, so seeing Booker wear red and white during the 2024-25 season seems unlikely.
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Rockets will be ‘aggressive’ in pursuing upgrades in 2024 offseason
Date: June 25
Source: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
The Rockets may like Durant, but they aren’t hell-bent on specifically getting him. The team will use its bevy of picks to aggressively pursue notable veteran upgrades to the roster, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As intrigued as the Rockets have been about Durant, they’re determined to use the Suns picks to be aggressive on deals elsewhere now, sources tell ESPN. Phoenix has made it clear that they want to run it back with this group, and Houston is seeking a major upgrade now.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
That doesn’t guarantee the Rockets will make a move, as the team has to assess what’s available on the market. But if Durant doesn’t shake loose during the offseason, the Rockets may move on from their pursuit and eye another target.
But if they take the patient approach? Keep an eye on Durant and, a couple of years down the line, Devin Booker, per Wojnarowski.
Rockets want to trade for Kevin Durant
Date: June 25
Source: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski
Shortly after the Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the Knicks, the Rockets made a deal with Brooklyn to give the Nets control of their own draft picks in future seasons. In return, Houston received some of the first-round picks Phoenix surrendered to Brooklyn in the Kevin Durant trade, giving the Rockets control over the Suns’ future.
There was a method to Houston’s madness, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports. The Rockets want to trade for Durant on their own, and they believe “that becomes far easier” if they have control over the picks Phoenix sent Brooklyn in the original Durant trade in 2023.
The implications of the Rockets landing the Suns’ picks? Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant and that becomes far easier if they can return the Suns’ picks that they gave up in the Durant deal to the Nets. Suns have said they’re keeping Durant for now, but that could change…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 26, 2024
The Suns may not yet want to deal Durant, but Houston’s maneuver could put it in the driver’s seat if Phoenix changes its mind.
