The winds of change will blast through the Phoenix Suns this summer as the team prepares to respond after another losing season. At this point, the best route to improvement is by trading away Kevin Durant, and the 2x champion is reportedly ready to work with his team to find a trade out of town.
“Mat Ishbia has shown already in his ownership that he’s aggressive and willing to make moves,” said Shams on NBA Today. “He’s going to make a million swings as Suns owner. But this iteration of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker just has not worked. Roster-wise, the changes that are coming to Phoenix start with Kevin Durant. Who out there in the NBA believes they’re a Kevin Durant away? I think the playoffs are going to play a big factor in which team might feel like, if they bring in KD, they can be a step away. Unlike the NBA trade deadline, the Suns and Kevin Durant will be working together on any potential trade.”
Durant has only been with the Suns for 145 games, but it’s been a failure from the start, and both sides have seen enough. The Suns know the value they can get from Durant, and there are several teams that are expected to show interest when he hits the market this summer.
“One thing to keep in mind: back in the NBA trade deadline in February, Minnesota, Miami, New York, San Antonio, and Houston were among the teams. I’m told there was mutual interest between Durant and those teams,” said Charania. “I expect those teams and potentially others to be back in the fray this summer.”
Durant, 36, is still an elite scorer with averages of 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 52.7% shooting this season. He’s more than carried his weight for the Suns, but it hasn’t been nearly enough to keep them afloat in the West.
A team like the Timberwolves, however, could be the perfect landing spot for Durant. They already have a talented core of stars, but Durant could raise their ceiling to a whole new level. Plus, Durant’s arrival would allow young star Anthony Edwards to play next to his top childhood idol.
There’s also the Miami Heat. Their season fell apart after the Jimmy Butler fiasco, but they have room for another star next to Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. Under head coach Erik Spoelstra, Durant could witness the legendary “Heat culture” for himself while also getting the chance to live in one of the most desirable NBA cities in the East.
In San Antonio, the Spurs are doing everything they can to build a contender around Victor Wembanyama, and Durant could be the key to major improvement. With the Spurs, Durant would be the second option and could play out his career on a team that’s on the rise.
Interestingly, the Golden State Warriors were not mentioned as a potential Durant team. Despite their interest at the deadline, Kevin turned down the opportunity of a reunion with Curry in favor of finishing out this season with the Suns.
Unless he has a last-minute change of heart, Durant is all but certain to find a new team in the summer, and it likely means he’ll be negotiating a new contract that will kick in after making $54.7 million this season.
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