After the Phoenix Suns reportedly shopped Kevin Durant in this year’s trade deadline, it’s become clear to many around the league the relationship comes to end this offseason.
Now, we’ve gotten an update to what the Suns may ask for in return.
According to The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin, “Sources informed The Republic the most ideal return on a Durant trade is regaining three first-round picks and a young player as part of a multi-team deal tied to getting under the second apron.”
With multiple tradeable first-round picks and some intriguing young players, the Miami Heat potentially could check off those boxes for the Suns this summer.
Durant is due to make $54.7 million in the final year of his deal next season. The Suns do not control their first round picks all the way through 2032.
“It’s part of the business,” Durant post-trade deadline. “Everybody is bought and sold in this league. Anybody can be up for auction.”
Durant continued: “I didn’t want to move and I get why you want to trade me, simple fact that’s business but for me looking at it. We can play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the off-season then we figure it out.”
According to Rankin, “Sources informed The Arizona Republic that Durant’s camp was upset Phoenix put him in trade talks before the 2025 deadline last month as he rejected a move back to Golden State where he won back-to-back NBA titles and Finals MVPs.”
Rankin continued: “However, between the Suns having already looked to move Durant, him publicly saying he understood it and his camp taking issue with those talks, it’s hard to see him staying in Phoenix beyond this season.”
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania on NBA Countdown, “The stakes are high. Unless there is a significant run here into the playoffs for the Phoenix Suns, league sorces believe that there will be real chages in Phoenix coming to the Suns, and from a roster standpoint, that likely starts with Kevin Durant, and when we look back ot the trade deadline, we remenber Kevin Durant was blindsided when he was involved in trade conversatons, but this offseason from my understanding, what it would look like is the Suns and Durant would work together on any potential trade to a contender in a trade scenario. I would expect 4-6 teams with some serious involvement in Kevin Durant.”
“They’re going to trade him, and he knows that,” said Brian Windhorst on ESPN’s ‘Get Up’.
REPORT: MIAMI HEAT EXPECTED TO PURSUE KEVIN DURANT IN OFFSEASON
The Miami Heat have been able to land big-name superstars over the past few decades.
Now, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant may soon be added to the list.
The Suns are having a rough season. Many in league circles expect the Suns to part with Durant this coming offseason with the team sitting at 29-33, even outside the Play-In Tournament.
The teams expected to pursue Durant this summer are the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers according to Ashish Mathur of HoopsWire.
The Suns reportedly shopped Durant prior to this season’s trade deadline. However, Durant did not want to be traded midseason like he did in 2023 while with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Heat just experienced their own situation with a superstar being traded after shipping Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 5. There were reports stating the Warriors were prioritizing the idea of re-acquiring Durant instead of fully pursuing Butler. However, after Durant publicly rejected a trade to return to Golden State, the Warriors made the play for Butler.
Even at 36 years old, Durant is playing high-level basketball. He is averaging 26.9 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 52 percent from the field.
“Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, but he and the Suns are expected to work together on a trade so he can land somewhere he wants to be,” Mathur added.
If the Heat can land Durant, a trio of him, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo could catapult the team as favorites in the Eastern Conference.
