Kevin Durant received quite a bit of criticism over the past several years for leaving teams. The first instance came in 2016 when Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, with whom KD won two titles. Durant only spent three seasons with the Warriors before teaming up with Kyrie Irving (and eventually James Harden) on the Brooklyn Nets, but after fewer than four seasons in Brooklyn, Durant was traded to the Phoenix Suns. And now according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith, the Suns want to trade Durant.
Durant, who is one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history, arrived in Phoenix via a trade with the Nets in February 2023. The move was new Suns owner Mat Ishbia's first big act after buying the team, but the trade hasn't paid off so far. Durant was injured for an extended period in 2023 and could not develop the necessary chemistry needed before the Suns were eliminated from the playoffs by the eventual NBA Champions, the Denver Nuggets.
Things didn't go any better this season either despite Phoenix trading for Bradley Beal. The Suns, who struggled with injuries once again during the regular season, were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the postseason, calling into question if the trio of Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker could achieve championship success together.
If the Suns believe the answer to be no, a trade involving Durant could be on the horizon. And Smith, who clarified that he is “reporting” and not giving his opinion, said the Suns want to trade Durant.
“‘Pay no attention to what Phoenix is saying. They want out of Kevin Durant right now'. That's number one,” Smith said, seemingly reading off a text message. “Number two, also, Houston doesn't want Kevin Durant. (Rockets coach) Ime Udoka may want him, but organizationally, they know that they are not there yet, so their plans are more long-range. And they would prefer a Devin Booker, who they know it's a slim chance they'll get, but that would be their preference.”
It should be noted, however, that AZCentral's Duane Rankin said that “the Phoenix Suns aren't looking to trade Kevin Durant and the Suns are ‘riding' with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Durant.”
Kevin Durant trade rumors swirling
If the rumors or Stephen A. Smith's report are true, then Kevin Durant would seem to be on the move sooner rather than later. Over the past few days, rumors have begun to swirl that Durant was a target of the Houston Rockets. The rumors seemed to heat up, especially after the Rockets' trade with Durant's old team, the Brooklyn Nets, which involved their own 2025 and 2026 first-round draft picks Brooklyn had traded away to acquire James Harden in 2020, as well as the Suns' 2027 first-round pick and other picks involving the Suns.
Logically, if the Suns plan to trade Durant, they would have to get some valuable draft capital back, particularly because the Suns have mortgaged nearly every draft pick they would have over the next half-decade in order to acquire Durant and Beal. If the Suns now traded Durant to Houston, the Rockets could offer Phoenix some of its own draft picks, which could be very, very valuable if the team tanks.
That being said, it is still unclear where or even if Durant will be traded. The Suns have many reasons to not ship out the aging All-Star, including upsetting Devin Booker, who spent years toiling away on one of the worst teams in the NBA. But there may be no better time to hit the proverbial reset button than right now for Phoenix.
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