Kevin Durant is going to be traded this summer. Let’s rank his most likely suitors.
The Phoenix Suns are about to miss the 2025 NBA Playoffs with the highest payroll in league history. The team’s bold trade for Kevin Durant hours after Mat Ishbia gained control of the franchise has been an unmitigated disaster, and now the worst kept secret in the NBA is that Durant will again be on the trade block when this season mercifully ends for the Suns.
The Suns will trade Durant in the offseason, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed the Suns and Durant “will work together on any potential trade to a contender.” The franchise already tried to deal him at the trade deadline, but Durant essentially blocked a trade back to the Golden State Warriors because he had no interest in re-joining his old team.
Durant’s tenure in Phoenix may have been a bust, but he mostly held up his end of the bargain. He’s still an elite player even as he turns 37 years old ahead of next season. He’s also due for a contract extension, which will play a role in the bidding the same way it did for Jimmy Butler’s move to the Warriors. The playoffs will ultimately determine which teams are desperate enough to swing for KD, but there’s already some easily identifiable suitors who might be interested. Let’s rank ‘em.
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
Going back to the team that drafted him was a wonderful move for LeBron James’ legacy. Durant going back to the Thunder after his unceremonious exit could provide a similar feel-good story. My guess is the Thunder would only consider bringing back Durant if they fail to win the championship this season. OKC has never won a title (no, they don’t get credit for the SuperSonics’ 1979 championship), and while this team has a long window of contention in front of them, they shouldn’t get too comfortable. The Thunder’s biggest issue heading into the playoffs is secondary scoring after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. What better way to take pressure off SGA than by adding Durant? The Thunder can beat any team in a bidding war if really want to with one thousand future draft picks (a rough estimate) at their disposal. Trading Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort for Durant is a legal deal, salary-wise.
So why are the Thunder last on this list? OKC would be my championship pick right now, and if they win it all, there’s no reason to cash in Hartenstein and future picks for Durant. You just never know how OKC’s outlook could change if they suffer disappointment in the playoffs.
4. Detroit Pistons
This is my wildcard team in the Durant sweepstakes. Detroit has a big collection of young players it could include in this trade, and it owns all of its future first round picks beyond this year. Durant would be an ideal fit next to Cade Cunningham as a secondary scorer and floor spacer, and we’ve already seen him dominant the East before back in Brooklyn. The Pistons are currently sitting in a protected playoff seed after winning only 14 games last season. This is no longer the most hopeless franchise in the NBA, and I’d argue Durant-to-Detroit is a tremendous fit for both the player and the team.
Are the Pistons really the type of “contender” Durant seeks, though? Not yet, obviously. My take here is elevating the Pistons to real contention is exactly the type of move that would elevate Durant’s legacy once he’s finally hung it up. He’d have a way better chance of making a deep playoff run in the East, and his presence will likely attract other players to play with him in the future. Detroit can also make a highly enticing package: start with Tobias Harris and Isaiah Stewart for salary matching, add in one or two of Ausar Thompson, Jaden Ivey, and Ron Holland, plus one or two picks. There’s a deal that works for both sides in here, and I think it could be wonderful for Durant, too.
3. Miami Heat
The Heat are always chasing superstars under Pat Riley, and Durant is still a superstar even as he readies to turn 37 years old. Miami’s long-term outlook has taken a slight upswing this year with Tyler Herro turning into an All-Star guard. Bam Adebayo has had a down year, but he’s still in his prime. Add Durant and that’s a pretty enticing “big three” in the East, especially with the way Miami is able to develop role players.
The Heat could trade two first-round picks after the draft, according to RealGM, and have the salaries to match with Andrew Wiggins and Terry Rozier or Duncan Robinson. Throw in Jaime Jaquez or Kel’el Ware as a young piece, and maybe there’s a deal here if Durant wants it to happen.
2. Houston Rockets
The Rockets’ post-James Harden rebuild is officially over. Houston has soared up the standings this season in head coach Ime Udoka’s second year with a deep roster of young athletes with size who play hard as hell every night. The one thing Houston is missing is a go-to guy late in games, and that makes Durant a great fit even at his age. Durant still has takeover offensive ability, and even if he might not be able to do it every night as he ages, he would still be an expert floor spacer for Amen Thompson’s turbo-charged drives to the rim. The arms race in the West never stops, and Houston needs a bold move for a star if it wants to keep pace.
The Rockets have been circling the wagons on the Suns’ potential demise since the offseason, when they made a bizarre trade with the Nets to acquire Phoenix’s future draft picks. The idea here seems to be making a push for either Durant or Devin Booker. Booker reportedly isn’t available yet, but trading KD for control over their own picks would be a sharp move for Phoenix. Would Houston choose to wait Phoenix out to eventually try to get Booker? Maybe, but you can never be too patient in the West.
1. Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks just made one of the worst trades in NBA history by sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. If Nico Harrison wants to save face, he needs to make another bold move, and Durant is a perfect player to pursue. Adding Durant to Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis would be a central casting ‘big three’ of future Hall of Famers at guard, forward, and center. All three are late in their career and ready to solely focus on chasing championships. After trading Doncic, the Mavericks couldn’t balk at giving Durant the extension he desires.
The Mavericks could include Dereck Lively II in this trade, who would be a great young player for Phoenix to acquire. They can include the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, which they received in the package for Doncic. Harrison made it clear that Dallas’ championship window is only 2-3 years after the Luka trade, and adding Durant would give them the best possible chance to win a ring and prove the entire world wrong. Like most trades involving Durant, my guess is this one would sound better on paper than it would be in reality, but Dallas is still the team that makes the most sense to swing big for KD.
