Trade talks involving Kevin Durant are heating up, with the Phoenix Suns trying to recoup as much value as they can after selling the farm for the future Hall of Famer back in 2023. However, the Suns are still trying to do right by Durant, as the 36-year-old star (soon to be 37 years of age come September) reportedly gave his list of preferred destinations — a three-team list consisting of the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat.

But among those three teams, Durant reportedly has his favorite. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Suns star “specifically wants” to play for the Spurs. This would make San Antonio a powerhouse yet again, as a core consisting of De'Aaron Fox, Victor Wembanyama, and Durant should be good enough to compete, even in a loaded Western Conference.

Alas, the Suns haven't yet been impressed with the reported offer the Spurs have put on the table. While they have been willing to dangle Devin Vassell, who is a quality piece at only 24 years of age, they have been reluctant to include the likes of Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan (among others) all while refusing to put the second overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft on the table at all.

Thus far, the offers for Durant being underwhelming should not come as a surprise. The Suns don't have much leverage in any scenario (Durant is in the final year of his deal, and everyone following the NBA knows that they are looking to hit a reset button of sorts after a disappointing 2024-25 season), so any trade will have to take some time to materialize.

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Suns, Kevin Durant embroiled in leverage standoff

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Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

While the Suns won't be limiting themselves to just those three potential trade partners, Durant's unwillingness to commit to the other 26 teams will make it difficult for them to justify giving up the assets bringing in Durant via trade will require. For instance, The Athletic reported that the Minnesota Timberwolves have been in hot pursuit of Durant, but the veteran star is not willing to commit there, which makes the Timberwolves a bit hesitant to pull the trigger.

It's all a matter of who blinks first between Durant and the Suns. For one, the Suns will want to get as much of a return as possible for Durant, and that is easier to pull off in an offseason trade. On the other hand, Durant will want to play for a contending team with his career winding down, and a contending team, the Suns are not.