With all of the new swirling surrounding Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant has become something of an afterthought. However, ESPN insider Shams Charania just provided an intriguing update that could hint at where he will play next.
Charania appeared on the Pat McAfee show and mentioned that the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Durant had mutual interest around the trade deadline.
If true, the Suns could find a taker for Durant who would give them great return value for their best player. Nonetheless, although the Spurs have the second pick in this year's draft, that will likely be off the table in trade talks for Durant.
Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, would also likely be untouchable in trade negotiations. That said, if the Spurs are still interested in trading for Durant this summer, what could a potential deal look like?
What would a potential Kevin Durant trade look like?
Whether the Spurs will look to rekindle trade talks this summer is a major question mark. But there was reason to believe that they might. While they are unlikely to trade the second overall pick, they still have a logjam at guard.
Trading for Durant would potentially help them solve that issue while also solving a couple of other flaws. Packaging Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Malaki Branham, the 14th pick in this year's draft, and a 2028 top-14 protected selection for Durant could be a reasonable trade for both sides.
For the Spurs, it wouldn't cost them most of their young core while still significantly upgrading their frontcourt. Given that the Spurs have a major spacing issue, pairing Durant next to Victor Wembanyama could help solve those problems.
Durant is still one of the elite scorers in the NBA and one of the best shooters, too. He drilled a staggering 43% of his 6.0 3-point attempts and shot a blistering 53.1% on 4.6 mid-range jumpers per game.
KD also averaged an impressive 83.9% on 5.9 three free throw attempts. All of that should be music to the Spurs' ears, who ranked 17th in offensive rating and 21st in 3-point percentage. They simply have no one near as good offensively as him.
A projected starting lineup of De'Aaron Fox, Castle, Dylan Harper, Durant, and Wembanyama would be a terrific five-man unit with three slashers that can put pressure on the rim by relentlessly attacking the paint. Defensively, the Spurs would have five solid defenders with switchability.
Would the Suns and Spurs agree to a potential Durant trade?
The Suns would get a starting shooting guard in Vassell, a lottery pick, and a future first. Vassell is a polarizing player at this point in his career after a down season. But at his peak, he averaged nearly 20 points per game and was an above-average high-volume 3-point shooter.
He is also on a declining four-year contract that may be valuable if the Suns like him as a player. Getting a young starter, a lottery pick, and a future first, in addition to two expiring contracts, might not be what Suns fans are hoping for.
However, it may be a solid return. Especially with Giannis drawing plenty of attention from other teams, which could depress Durant's trade value. Not to mention him turning 37 before the start of next season.
Overall, the Spurs' rumored interest in Durant at the trade deadline could provide the Suns with a potential trade partner this summer, assuming San Antonio is still interested. Unless another team expresses interest, the Suns might not have a better trade offer for Durant this summer.