The 2025 offseason is in full swing, and yet one of the league’s biggest potential moves is shaping up to be far more underwhelming than expected. Despite being a two-time NBA champion, former MVP, and one of the most gifted scorers in league history, Kevin Durant might be traded for less than what the Memphis Grizzlies just got in return for Desmond Bane, a player who has never made an All-Star team.
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, league executives believe the draft capital that Phoenix can expect in a Durant trade will not surpass the haul Memphis received in the blockbuster Bane deal.
“In speaking with several sources Sunday in the wake of the Bane deal, the universal belief is that any draft packages going to Phoenix in a Durant deal likely won’t surpass the haul of draft picks coming to Memphis for Bane, who hasn’t yet made an All-Star team.”
That Grizzlies-Magic trade, which included Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony along with four unprotected first-round picks and a pick swap, sent shockwaves around the league.
But instead of setting the market for Durant, it has exposed a hard truth: age, leverage, and timing have dramatically reduced the 35-year-old superstar’s value.
“In speaking with several sources Sunday in the wake of the Bane deal, the universal belief is that any draft packages going to Phoenix in a Durant deal likely won’t surpass the haul of draft picks coming to Memphis for Bane,” Bontemps reported.
One anonymous executive put it even more bluntly. “Everyone has to throw their prior precedents and baselines out. Those deals don’t mean Durant is worth 12 firsts now.”
Just 28 months ago, the Brooklyn Nets extracted Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four first-round picks, and a pick swap from Phoenix for Durant.
Now, with Durant reportedly willing to sign a contract extension with only three teams, the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat, his value has plummeted. The limited pool of preferred destinations has narrowed Phoenix’s leverage dramatically, and it’s showing.
Complicating matters further, teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves remain interested but are unwilling to part with key young players. Minnesota is reportedly not including Jaden McDaniels in any Durant discussions.
The Raptors remain in the mix, along with the Clippers, but none appear eager to mortgage their futures the way Phoenix once did.
At the heart of this collapse in trade value is context. Durant, now 36 when the 2025–26 season tips off, has dealt with multiple injuries over the past few years and has not made it out of the second round since leaving the Golden State Warriors.
There’s also the perception that Durant may demand another trade if things go south in his next stop, further limiting long-term value for acquiring teams.
It’s a surreal turn for a player who was once considered the most untradeable asset in basketball. But this is the modern NBA. Desmond Bane, a tough, ascending two-way wing without an All-Star nod, just fetched a bigger haul than Kevin Durant might.
Whether that’s a reflection of Durant’s regression or the league’s shifting valuation of youth and control, one thing is clear: the era of blockbuster returns for aging superstars is fading. And Kevin Durant is finding that out the hard way.
