One of the more surprising names that had popped up in trade rumors leading up to the deadline was Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. Durant was connected to the Golden State Warriors over the last week or so, but nothing ended up materializing.

On Wednesday, news broke that Durant was not interested in a reunion with the Warriors, causing Golden State to swing a big trade with the Miami Heat for Jimmy Butler. With Butler on the move and the Suns not included with the deal, Durant will now be staying with the Suns past the trade deadline according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

NBA insider Chris Haynes and ESPN's Shams Charania have since confirmed Siegel's report, so Durant will be finishing out the rest of the season with the Suns.

Originally, Suns guard Bradley Beal was the one in trade talks as the Suns tried to figure out a way to get Butler to Phoenix to play with Devin Booker and Durant. However, Beal's unwillingness to waive his no-trade clause threw a wrench into things and put Durant on the block. For a brief second, it seemed as if a deal to send Durant to the Warriors and Butler to the Suns was in the works, but that fee through as well.

Now, Butler is off to Golden State and it's looking like the Suns are going to be forced to work with what they have had all season long. So far, that core has not been good enough, as Phoenix is sitting at just 25-24 and are in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference. The Suns have much higher expectations than that, so Durant and company need to get hot after the deadline passes.

Injuries have played a big part in why the Suns have not been able to gain any momentum this season. Entering Wednesday night, Beal had only played in 36 games and Durant had played in 39, and the Suns have struggled to win games when even one of their three stars has not been on the court. Now, they will get a chance to build some chemistry and make a push towards the playoffs.