Kevin Durant might want to play in South Florida or Texas subsequent season, however that doesn’t matter a lot in Arizona’s Salt River valley.
As beforehand reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Phoenix Suns star desires to be traded to the Miami Warmth, San Antonio Spurs or Houston Rockets this summer season. Charania added one other element on Monday, reporting Durant has ‘no need’ to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, as some had speculated.
Regardless of all that, the Suns will search the most effective commerce they’ll discover for Durant, no matter his most well-liked locations, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported on Marc Stein’s Substack web page.
Every day Mail has reached out to Suns spokespeople and Durant’s agent Wealthy Kleiman for remark.
Fischer’s report opens up much more prospects for Durant, who’s eyeing a transfer to a possible fifth franchise for an opportunity at a 3rd NBA title at age 36.
He remained efficient in 2024-25 regardless of his advancing age, scoring 26.6 factors a sport due to 43-percent accuracy from past the arc – higher than all however 10 gamers.
Kevin Durant attends the sport between the Chigaco Sky and the Los Angeles Sparks
Though it’s unclear who the Suns are talking with about Durant, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reported earlier this month that Phoenix has progressively decreased its asking worth for the Olympic gold medalist.
Durant was the crown jewel of the staff makeover after proprietor Mat Ishbia purchased the Suns in 2022. The previous Texas Longhorns star didn’t come cheaply, nonetheless, as Phoenix surrendered 4 unprotected first-round picks and a future choose swap in addition to Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets within the deal.
On the time, then-ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported the commerce was Ishbia’s concept, writing it was ‘very a lot on the possession degree’ between the Suns boss and Nets governor Joe Tsai.
Ishbia pushed again on that reporting quickly after, saying the choice was unanimous.
‘It wasn’t a tricky resolution,’ he advised reporters in Phoenix. ‘We actually did not wish to quit among the guys, as a result of we love these guys. They have been winners and we did not wish to give them up.
‘However on the finish of the day the fitting resolution was, what can we do to maximise our staff for at present and for the following three to 4 years? That is going to be what the Phoenix Suns are about.’
The Suns would go on so as to add high-scoring Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal to a core that already included Devin Booker, whereas Ishbia reiterated his need to maintain Durant in Phoenix.
Ishbia shot down any commerce hypothesis in 2024 when the Rockets have been reportedly .
‘Everybody speaking in regards to the drama and storylines, some are proper and a few are simply improper,’ Ishbia wrote on social media. ‘My flip. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we’re competing for a championship this 12 months as a result of now we have the staff to do it.’
Durant could also be on his method out in Phoenix, the place he failed to show the Suns right into a contender
Suns proprietor Mat Ishbia launched a $2 menu in 2024-25, giving followers one thing to cheer about
The billionaire even advised reporters in November he anticipated to signal Durant to a contract extension.
Then the Suns fell off the map, lacking the playoffs at 36-46 as Durant, Booker and Beal as soon as once more struggled to gel underneath coach Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after the season.
Ishbia owned as much as the debacle with reporters after the season finale.
‘Embarrassing season, proper?’ Ishbia stated. ‘Disappointing. Terrible. I watch each sport like all you guys do and nobody’s pleased with it, nobody’s proud of it, from me, to the entrance workplace, to the coaches and gamers, to the advertising executives to the safety guards.
‘It was a failure.’
If Ishbia did have one success in 2024-25, it was his common resolution to scale back concessions costs with a brand new $2 menu.
Though they do not at present have their very own first-round choose, the Suns do have the twenty ninth choice on this month’s NBA Draft.
As for the head-coach emptiness, the Suns have introduced in Jordan Ott, whom Ishbia stated ‘embodies the tradition of excellence and accountability we’re going to prioritize.’
Ott had labored underneath 2025 NBA Coach of the 12 months Kenny Atkinson in Cleveland after the 2 beforehand labored collectively in Brooklyn
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