Kevin Durant Trade Could Be Days Away—Nets Positioned to Play Key Facilitator Role

Kevin Durant's departure from the Phoenix Suns could be days away—as could the Brooklyn Nets' compensation.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania on The Pat McAfee Show, a Durant deal could be imminent.

"I think a Kevin Durant trade could happen in the next few days," Charania said on Friday. "In the last 24 hours the focus has been on the Rockets, the Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves."

The Nets have long been listed as a likely facilitator for Durant and the Suns, likely as a third team that takes on a large contract in exchange for draft compensation.

However, today Charania reported that between six and eight teams remained in pursuit of Durant on the Rich Eisen Show.

In theory, this could give Brooklyn even more flexibility as a facilitator. The more teams involved, the more choices the Nets have to pick from rival teams. Obviously, Phoenix still holds final say, but if the Suns want Brooklyn's help, GM Sean Marks could pick from a slew of offers.

Despite the change in reporting through just 24 hours, Charania did say that Houston, Miami and Minnesota remain the frontrunners. It's unclear how or why the San Antonio Spurs were removed from the sweepstakes, but rumblings suggest they've locked in on selecting Dylan Harper with the second pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Pick two likely would've been included in any package for Durant, hence the lack of San Antonio's inclusion.

For the Nets' sake, Durant landing in Miami would be the most ideal situation. Minnesota and Houston are both trending upward, and either team adding Durant would catapult them into the discussion of potential 2026 NBA Champions.

The Heat trading for Durant seems a little panicky, attempting to fill the void left by Jimmy Butler just months after dealing the star to Golden State. If the Nets can collect a future first or two from Miami, potentially by taking on Duncan Robinson's contract, those picks would be far more valuable in the future than a Minnesota or Houston pick would.

If Brooklyn gets any say in where Durant ends up, the best fit for its current timeline would be draining Miami of future assets.