Several teams reportedly made “last-ditch efforts” to trade for Suns star Kevin Durant after a deal with the Warriors fell through when the former league MVP made it clear he wasn’t interested in returning to Golden State. Phoenix and Miami also reportedly discussed swapping Durant and Jimmy Butler before the Heat wound up trading the disgruntled star to the Warriors.
Where does that leave Durant’s future with the Suns? ESPN’s Brian Windhorst discussed that topic on the latest Hoop Collective podcast, suggesting that Durant could be the one seeking an exit this summer after being caught off guard by seeing his name pop up in rumors.
“The prevailing thing from the trade deadline day was what didn’t happen, which was Kevin Durant stayed put,” Windhorst said (hat tip to RealGM). “He was not happy he was put into trade talks.
“I think it’s unpredictable what will happen for the next few months because it’s the nature of the sport, but I think right now it is reasonable to forecast that Durant will be breaking up with the Suns in the summer. He didn’t break up with them today, but it doesn’t look for the long-term forecast because he was really frustrated.
“I spent a long time today on the phone with people involved with this situation. People from Miami. People from Golden State. People from Phoenix. Other people. I would just say that the biggest thing Kevin Durant was upset about, I think, not knowing he was involved in trade talks. … Generically, a star player of his level likes to be involved in trade talks. That was an issue. The thing about it was the Suns ended up not getting anything (besides a salary-dump trade).”
For what it’s worth, a Suns source who spoke to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports pushed back on how available Durant really was on the trade market, even though multiple other sources confirmed to Bourguet that the Warriors deal was very close to being finalized.
Here’s more on the Suns:
- After his ESPN colleagues Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon advocated for Phoenix to trade Devin Booker to fully remake the roster in the summer, Windhorst said the four-time All-Star has a strong desire to remain with the Suns. “I have to say, I don’t think they’re going to trade Devin Booker,” Windhorst said. “Devin Booker wants to be there. … Devin Booker wants to be there his whole career.”
- Doug Haller of The Athletic examines Phoenix’s trade deadline and path forward, writing that a Durant trade and roster reconstruction seem all but inevitable after the current group has failed to meet expectations.
- According to Bourguet, the Suns aren’t enthusiastic about any of their current options on the buyout market (Twitter link). Phoenix is unable to sign any buyout candidate who earns more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception because the team is over the second tax apron.
- On the same Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst, Bontemps and MacMahon all expressed surprise that Phoenix traded its unprotected 2031 first-round pick to Utah for three lower-value first-rounders without having a specific move lined up afterward. In a full story for ESPN.com (Insider link), a Western Conference scout told Bontemps he was just as confused by that trade. “The Phoenix piece is just fascinating,” the scout said. “They made that trade with the draft pick and didn’t have anything [ready] to do with it?“
- Appearing on NBA Today (Twitter video link), ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne described the Suns’ locker room as “toxic” and said Wednesday’s shootaround in Oklahoma City was “very awkward, very weird” as players were unsure who would still be around past the deadline.
If I’m Phoenix I trade Devin Booker in the summer. He still is a productive player and can carry a team but $61M at age 32 is crazy. Houston and Orlando would the best fits for him.
Jimmy will be making 60 million at 36 so…..
It won’t be crazy by the time it comes up. The salary cap keeps going up. There’s no reason to think he won’t still be a great player at that age.
Funny how the CBA has changed the NBA. The only teams that are getting better is the young teams. All the old teams with super stars are just .500 teams. Suns, T-wolves, Warriors, Lakers, Sacramento, Nuggets, Clippers have no room to add. That is just on the west.
I think Clippers are the best team out of the ones you listed who have a chance to come out of this better than what people projected. Next year the cap is at $173M but then it dips down to $82M for 2027/28 due to Harden/Powell being off the books and coupled with the fact that Bogdan Bogdanovic has a $17M team option that’s around $65M. They’ll be players in the 2027 summer market, until then they will settle for being average.
That mans they will need to spend a lot to field a team without many draft picks. warrior fans will be waiting for 2027 when Green, Curry, and Butler retire. There will be almost nothing in payroll.
Besides Kuminga salary?
I don’t think age has anything to do with it, it’s just the most well run teams are doing well.
The older the team is the harder it is to get under the cap. Only Celtics has all stars and played the cap right which hasn’t cost them yet but in 2 years their hands are tied.
It’s because the older teams were built in a different team building and CBA environment. They are all trying to pivot and adapt to contract decisions they made several years ago. What will be interesting is how the older teams in the league are structured 5 years from now. A good example is OKC. They could’ve traded for countless stars on the market. They don’t want to be locked into that when they have guys like J Dub and SGA going to get paid.
Yep they will be in the same boat in a couple of years. The NBA doesn’t want dynasty anymore just parity.