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Phoenix Suns' Head Coach Issues a Blunt Statement Following Their Loss Against the Celtics 136 Mar 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) dribbles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith (17) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Durant’s Top Destination Out Of The Picture

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Dan Agulto | Last updated Apr 18, 2025 7:49 AM ET

The Kevin Durant trade saga takes another interesting turn. NBA Insider Marc Stein wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the Houston Rockets wouldn’t pursue the Phoenix Suns guard because he was not on the same timeline as the team’s young and potential-filled core.

Stein wrote , “All season long on @TheSteinLine , we’ve been reporting that the Rockets’ next significant trade would not happen in-season (as proved true) and is unlikely to target Kevin Durant because the future Hall of Famer is not on the same timeline as Houston’s promising young core.”

All season long on @TheSteinLine, we’ve been reporting that the Rockets’ next significant trade would not happen in-season (as proved true) and is unlikely to target Kevin Durant because the future Hall of Famer is not on the same timeline as Houston’s promising young core.

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 18, 2025

The two-time NBA champion just closed out his 2024-25 regular season with a dismal 36-46 record with the Suns and the trade talks about him has had everybody on their toes, eager to see where Durant will end up after all the negotiations are done.

While there are a lot of things that point to Kevin Durant moving to the Rockets, including reports that there was “mutual interest” between the two, the Rockets organization believes their youthful squad bears a lot of promise in the future, and believe that Durant’s not the guy to guide them to the NBA championship.

NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Durant's Top Destination Out In The Picture 1 Mar 24, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the fourth quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Phoenix Suns love Kevin Durant but needs to move on

It might be a season to forget for the Phoenix Suns after seeing the exit doors of the playoffs even before they got there, but Kevin Durant still had a solid season as he averaged 26.6 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.

Durant’s contributions for the Suns’ bid to make it to the playoffs was something a two-time NBA champion should be doing for a side dreaming for the title he’s had twice in his career. However, the organization felt it was still not enough.

In a press conference to address KD’s trade rumors, Suns GM James Jones shared that while Durant’s had a great season himself, they’d still have to look at everything as they make a change for the betterment of the team.

“That hasn’t changed. The fact that we aren’t where we want to be from a winning perspective means that we have to look at everything,” said Jones. He added, “Right now, we’re just trying to figure out how to collectively move this team forward.”

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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