After a failed deal with the Warriors, which fell apart when former league MVP Kevin Durant made it clear he wasn’t interested in returning to Golden State, several teams reportedly made “last-ditch efforts” to trade for him. Additionally, Phoenix and Miami were said to have discussed a potential swap of Durant and Jimmy Butler before the Heat ended up trading the disgruntled Butler to the Warriors.
What does this mean for Durant’s future with the Suns? On the latest Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst discussed that Durant may be looking to leave the Suns this summer, as he was reportedly caught off guard by his name popping up in trade rumors.
“The key takeaway from the trade deadline was what didn’t happen—Kevin Durant stayed put,” Windhorst said (via RealGM). “He was not happy to find himself in trade discussions.”
Windhorst added, “It’s hard to predict what will happen over the next few months given the nature of the sport, but I think it’s reasonable to expect Durant will be parting ways with the Suns this summer. He didn’t leave today, but long-term, it doesn’t look great, as he was clearly frustrated.”
Windhorst continued, sharing insights from multiple sources close to the situation: “The biggest issue for Durant was not knowing he was in trade talks. Typically, star players at his level expect to be informed about such discussions. That was a real problem. And to top it off, the Suns didn’t get much out of the situation besides a salary dump.”
However, a Suns source who spoke to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports countered claims about Durant’s availability on the trade market, even though other sources confirmed that the Warriors trade had nearly been finalized.
On a related note, after ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Tim MacMahon suggested Phoenix should trade Devin Booker to overhaul the roster this summer, Windhorst emphasized that Booker 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. … He wants to spend his entire career in Phoenix.”
Doug Haller from The Athletic also discussed Phoenix’s trade deadline, noting that a Durant trade and roster overhaul seem inevitable after the current group fell short of expectations.
According to Bourguet, the Suns aren’t enthusiastic about any options in the buyout market, as they cannot sign players earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception due to being over the second tax apron.
On the same Hoop Collective podcast, Windhorst, Bontemps, and MacMahon expressed surprise over Phoenix’s trade of its unprotected 2031 first-round pick to Utah for three lower-value first-rounders, especially since there wasn’t a clear plan for the pick afterward. An unnamed Western Conference scout also voiced confusion: “The Phoenix move is just fascinating. They traded a pick without knowing what they were going to do with it?”
Meanwhile, appearing on NBA Today, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne described the Suns’ locker room as “toxic,” mentioning that Wednesday’s shootaround in Oklahoma City was “very awkward, very weird” as players were uncertain about who would still be on the team after the trade deadline.
