Mar 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) looks up after a play during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

NBA Trade Report: Former Nets Star Kevin Durant Could Be Moved This Weekend

Originally posted on Brooklyn Nets on SI | By Jed Katz | Last updated Jun 13, 2025 3:57 PM ET

The Kevin Durant trade drama is proving just how smart the Brooklyn Nets were in moving him back in 2023. Sure, the Durant-Kyrie Irving experiment was a failure, but the Nets can say that their return far outweighed the benefits of staying competitive.

Brooklyn is now going into the 2025 NBA Draft and offseason with four first-round picks, plus what is estimated to be over $40 million in cap space. GM Sean Marks and the rest of the front office have the freedom to organically rebuild or accelerate the rebuild without hurting the timeline.

As for Durant, his tenure with the Phoenix Suns was more disappointing than his time with the Nets. Brooklyn was a championship contender with the now-36-year-old legend, whereas Phoenix just finished a 36-46 season, missing the postseason altogether.

The Suns tried to trade Durant at this year's deadline, but now it looks as if they'll move on from him as early as this weekend. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on the Pat McAfee Show that there are three finalists in the Durant sweepstakes, and a move could go down "in the next few days."

"The focus of the Suns' conversation has been on a few of the teams and here they are: the Houston Rockets, the Miami Heat, and the Minnesota Timberwolves."@ShamsCharania discusses the three teams in talks with acquiring Kevin Durant (via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/X24C4o1Hvh
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 13, 2025

The Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Miami Heat are the three teams most involved in negotiations. The Rockets own the Suns' 2025 and 2027 first-round picks, while the Timberwolves and Heat have valuable assets the Phoenix could covet as well.

In 2023, the Nets traded Durant to the Suns after sending Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. From Phoenix, Brooklyn received Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks, plus a pick swap.

From there, the Nets have sent more veterans off for draft capital, including Bridges, Dennis Schroder, and Dorian Finney-Smith. Seeing as how Johnson is likely on the move after a career year, Brooklyn is setting itself up for a timeline mimicking the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are now in the NBA Finals.

A Durant trade from the Suns after just two and a half seasons with the team is disappointing, similar to how his time in Brooklyn ended. However, Phoenix jumping ship this early can only remind fans of how the Nets did the same and got as much capital as they could for the star.

This article first appeared on Brooklyn Nets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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