If you've been keeping up with NBA trade rumors, then you have no doubt been closely watching the Phoenix Suns and the ongoing Kevin Durant trade saga. The Suns have been shopping him ever since they were eliminated back in late April, and they have yet to find a trade that suits them.
Part of the problem has been Durant's age, with him turning 37 years old by the start of next season and him being on an expiring contract for 2025-26. Even so, he is coming off a year in which he averaged a strong 26.8 points per game.
That proves that he still has plenty left in the tank, and while he could command a big contribution that would pay him at least $50 million a year over 2 years, there are several teams interested in acquiring him.
Even so, the Suns have run into a roadblock with Durant releasing his list of preferred destinations, including the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, and Miami Heat.
Sources: Kevin Durant prefers to land with the Heat, Rockets, Spurs, as three teams he would commit with long term - ESPN: https://t.co/oxWEuJJU5Q
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2025
All three teams have enough assets to make a strong offer to the Suns. Nevertheless, they each appear to be in a holding pattern, with none looking to give up 2 months to land around.
That puts the Suns in an awkward spot, with them expected to make a trade before the June 25th NBA Draft. That gives them 2 weeks to make a move involving arguably their best player.
What can the Phoenix Suns get for Kevin Durant?
Most trade offers have consisted of the Suns getting back a lottery pick in return for KD. That increases the need to get a trade done before the draft. If they can land a lottery pick in exchange for Durant, then that would give them a building block that can help them move on from him.
They likely aren't getting anywhere near what they gave up to the Brooklyn Nets to land Durant, with them having given up Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four firsts, and a pick swap for him. The Nets clearly won that trade, especially after trading Bridges for a staggering five firsts.
The Suns can't expect that, but they can still get great value for Durant. Particularly with them looking beyond those three teams to try and get the best possible deal for him.
The Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves have both been linked to the Suns, but with KD not having them on his preferred list of teams, that would likely make him a rental. That may all but kill a potential trade between those two teams, further limiting Phoenix's options.
That no doubt hurts them. Fortunately for the Suns, with the Heat, Rockets, and Spurs all vying for Durant, there is hope that Phoenix can get them to up their offers and extract at least one more asset from them.
If they can get positive value for him, then that will be a huge win and go a long way towards helping them get back on track, but it would require the aforementioned teams to up their offers. Next up, we'll take a look at potential offers, starting with the Heat.