Ahead of February’s trade deadline, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant was the subject of rumors. Most notably, he was reportedly a candidate to reunite with the Golden State Warriors. Ultimately, Durant remained in Phoenix, later saying he did not want to move during the season. Still, reports later indicated that the Suns would likely move on from Durant in the offseason. However, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, things may have changed.
According to Windhorst, the Suns do not want to trade Durant, though they may have to for flexibility purposes.
“Do the Suns want to trade Kevin Durant this summer? No, not really,” Windhorst reported Monday. “But the reality is that the Suns’ pathways of getting out of the second apron—to ensure they have flexibility—all seem to lead to Durant.”
Furthermore, The Ringer’s Logan Murdock recently reported that Durant may be open to remaining in Phoenix past this season.
“If there’s anything left to learn about this team, the next month should reveal it. The book isn’t closed on Durant returning to the Suns next season. League sources suggest that Durant, who will be eligible for a two-year, $122 million extension this offseason, would be open to a return,” Murdock wrote.
NBA Insider Provides Shocking Kevin Durant Trade Update
A Kevin Durant Trade Was Inevitable?
In February, Windhorst reported on the possibility of a Durant trade. According to Windhorst, a trade was “probably” going to happen. Windhorst mentioned that the Suns were way too expensive, especially considering that they were not winning. Naturally, trading Durant could make sense and give the Suns a chance to re-tool their roster.
“Yeah, [Durant]’s probably going to get traded this summer. He knows it, the Suns know it, the rest of the league know[s] it, they’re going to enjoy him while they have him. It’s not really controversial in all honesty. They’re under .500, they’ve got a $230 million payroll, then add about $100 million in tax on that…[Durant]’s played almost 1,500 minutes this year, and he’s +2 on the court in those 1,500 minutes,” Windhorst said.
“So you have an extremely expensive team that is not winning, and the player that is their most expensive player, who is playing great but not impacting them on a positive level, you do not need a high-level analyst to tell you that they probably need to trade him, which is why they were exploring the trade market for him…I would expect this summer for Durant and the Suns to work together to find a new home.”
The Last Word
With only a few games left on the schedule, it does not look good for Durant and the Suns. Phoenix is 35-43, and they own the No. 11 seed in the West. Additionally, they are 2.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks in the standings. While not official, it seems highly unlikely the Suns will make the postseason this year. This is especially true given that they are on a six-game losing streak. It is not over for them yet. However, as it stands, the Suns will likely shift their focus to next season fairly soon.
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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