On Facebook
On Flipboard
Former Texas Longhorn Kevin Durant looks unlikely to return to the Lone Star State
The NBA Finals are still ongoing, yet Kevin Durant's situation with the Phoenix Suns is dominating the headlines. The superstar forward is expected to be traded soon.
Multiple teams are rumored to be interested in Durant. Even at 36 years old, he's talented enough to raise the ceiling on a potential contender. The San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are two teams that have been heavily linked to a potential trade.
However, according to Marc Stein, both Texas-based teams are taking a balanced approach toward acquiring the two-time NBA champion.
"Teams such as Houston and San Antonio simply see little need to make asset-rich offers for Durant when A) they know that the Suns face self-imposed pressure to try to assemble a deal that delivers even half as much as they gave up to acquire the future Hall of Famer in February 2023 and B) both teams have long-held reservations about bidding aggressively for a player who will be 37 in September," Stein reported.
Durant, a former Texas Longhorn, is a tough sell for both the Spurs and the Rockets. While he will undoubtedly improve either team's rotation, the cost to acquire him doesn't make sense for either franchise.
Both the Spurs and Rockets are working through rebuilding phases. Even Houston, which is further along in its process, would expedite its roster development by adding Durant.
Durant needs to land on a ready-made contender. He needs a team built to win now. Moving him to a rebuilding roster makes no sense, especially as this will likely be the last move of his career. A team like the Minnesota Timberwolves or New York Knicks is a logical destination. Both squads are one piece away from being at the level required to be favorites for a championship.
Durant's future will undoubtedly be resolved sooner rather than later. The Suns appear eager to get a deal done. Given his age, the questionable roster fit and the reported asking price, his next team will unlikely be based in Texas, even if the trade machine tells you it's where the best package will come from.
More must-reads:
- Insider says Suns are done trying to accommodate Kevin Durant
- Spurs can't be blamed for not prioritizing Kevin Durant trade
- The 'NBA players at the Paris Olympics' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
NBA punishes Cavaliers for Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley decisions
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been fined $100,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy. The Cavs committed the violation when they rested both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley for the team’s game at the Miami Heat on Nov. 12. The Cavs won the contest 130-116 but sat their top two scorers for rest reasons. The Cavs had consecutive road games in Miami on Nov. 10 and Nov. 12, but then headed home to host the Toronto Raptors on Nov. 13. Both Mobley and Mitchell played in the Nov. 13 game, though Mobley only played 7 minutes in the game. The NBA introduced the Player Participation Policy for the 2023-24 season to curb the practice of healthy star players sitting out games for strictly rest reasons. Teams get fined $100,000 for a first violation, $250,000 for a second and then $1 million for each occurrence thereafter. Both Mitchell and Mobley qualify as “star” players under the league’s definition. The Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams that have also been fined for similar violations. Mitchell is averaging 30.9 points per game this season, and Mobley is averaging 18.9 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
Islanders-Stars game ends with ejection, review and Patrick Roy screaming
The New York Islanders' 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night ended with complete mayhem that included an ejection, Islanders coach Patrick Roy screaming and a replay review on what could have been a potential buzzer-beating game-tying goal. It is probably the most chaotic ending of the 2025-26 NHL season to date. Here's what happened. Mikko Rantanen ejected for hit that enraged Patrick Roy Things really started to pop off when Stars forward Mikko Rantanen was ejected for boarding Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov with just 27 seconds remaining. Rantanen was assessed a match penalty for the hit, resulting in Roy screaming at him between the benches. Roy is no stranger to these sorts of altercations in his head-coaching career, and he has repeatedly gotten himself into verbal — and nearly physical — altercations with opponents. His first game as an NHL head coach with the Colorado Avalanche nearly resulted in him climbing over the glass to fight then-Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau. He has passion. But that was only the start of the crazy ending. Potential buzzer-beating game-tying goal overturned on replay review As the Islanders were attempting to cling to a one-goal lead, the Stars appeared to tie the game with a buzzer-beating goal that would have sent the game to overtime, completing a wild comeback that started with a goal just one minute earlier. The only problem: The goal was taken away when it was determined that Stars forward Jason Robertson interfered with goalie David Rittich. Robertson definitely makes contact with Rittich in the crease, and he is responsible for making every possible effort to avoid that. But it is also true that Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock gives him a pretty good hit that sends him into the crease and into Rittich. The officials and NHL clearly did not think that was the cause of the interference and overturned the goal, securing the Islanders win. Goaltending interference can be a pretty subjective call. In this case, it did not favor the Stars.
CFP rankings: SEC in great shape after third reveal
The third College Football Playoff rankings of the 2025 season were released on Tuesday night with Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A M, Georgia and Texas Tech making up the top five. The Bulldogs and Red Raiders each move up one spot with Alabama falling down to 10th after a 23-21 loss to Oklahoma on Saturday. Ole Miss, Oregon, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama round out the top 10. The Big Ten and SEC continue their dominance by claiming eight of the top-10 spots, but the SEC looks to be in the best position of any league with five teams in the top 10, even with Alabama's second loss of the season. Alabama clings to playoff spot as SEC's outlook only grows stronger Here is a look at what the 12-team bracket would look like as of Tuesday: The biggest takeaway from this week's rankings is the position the SEC finds itself in. Texas A M, Georgia and Ole Miss appear to be in excellent shape, while Oklahoma and Alabama still find themselves in the projected field. Texas was the biggest loser, falling seven spots to No. 17 after its loss to Georgia. Even for Alabama, which suffered its second loss on Saturday, it could still find itself in the SEC Championship game depending on how everything plays out over the final two weeks, which could only strengthen its case even more. Miami remains the highest-ranked ACC team at No. 13, ahead of No. 16 Georgia Tech and No. 19 Virginia. With the five highest-ranked conference champions guaranteed to make the 12-team field, Miami would inherit the 11-seed as things currently stand. Following South Florida's loss to Navy, Tulane moves up to No. 24 and the 12th-seed as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. No. 11 BYU would be the first team out following the third reveal. There are two ranked matchups this weekend as No. 8 Oklahoma hosts No. 22 Missouri and No. 15 USC takes on No. 7 Oregon. With only two weeks of regular-season play remaining, time is running out to add quality wins to resumes, something each of these two games will certainly do. Assuming there are no more hiccups, the SEC has a realistic shot at getting five teams in the field. Week 12 presented an opportunity for other teams to move up, but after Texas A M completed its remarkable comeback over South Carolina and with Alabama remaining in the top 10, that does not bode well for the rest of the field.
Did Andy Reid throw Patrick Mahomes under the bus?
The Kansas City Chiefs haven't found much consistency this season. They lost their first two games of the year, then won five out of six. And just when it seemed that their offense was regaining its form from the early days of the dynasty, they regressed again. They've now dropped two games in a row to fall to 5-5, and their division-title aspirations may have already slipped through their fingers. Some of that has had to do with their lack of success in the running game. However, it's not because of head coach Andy Reid. Did Andy Reid take a subtle jab at Patrick Mahomes? In his weekly virtual media availability Monday, Reid stated that the Chiefs are still trying to run the ball. “We’re calling quite a few of the RPOs. Yesterday, they were giving us opportunities to throw the football, so we utilized the opportunities there, and those things ended up being as good as a run; we’re getting four-plus yards, and you go with it," Reid said. Then, he turned some heads with his follow-up comments, which some took as a subtle dig at quarterback Patrick Mahomes. "But the runs are being called; it’s just sometimes they get turned into passes in today’s world, you know, that’s how it goes," Reid continued. "But we are getting them in, and we have some hard runs where you just get up, line up, and go. Probably could call more of those.” Of course, that might not necessarily be a dig at his future Hall of Fame quarterback, but it's a testament to the disconnect within the team. The Chiefs have averaged 20 points per game in their last two games, all while rushing for 79 and 62 yards, respectively. Clearly, they will have to change that approach to salvage a season that has some fans thinking the dynasty is officially over.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
