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New Kevin Durant Trade and Contract Rumor Emerges Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ashish Mathur | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 5:29 PM ET

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Phoenix Suns are hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott as their new head coach.

The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer after one season. They also fired Frank Vogel in 2024 after hiring him in 2023.

Now that Phoenix has a head coach, the next step is to trade Kevin Durant, who has one year left on his contract.

Durant turns 37 in September. The future Hall of Famer averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season in 62 games.

The Suns acquired Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023. Phoenix lost to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2023 playoffs in six games and was swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Phoenix trading Durant this offseason is a “forgone conclusion.”

The two-time Finals MVP could also be a one-year rental.

“Everyone around the Kevin Durant situation, around Phoenix, are talking about a Kevin Durant trade as a forgone conclusion,” Fischer said. “That trading Kevin Durant was spoken about to various candidates in the Suns’ lengthy head coaching search process. That trading him was going to be basically a matter of fact and not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

“Right now, the sentiment from people I’m talking to around the NBA, rival teams, agents around the league, people are talking about Kevin Durant as far more of a one-year rental expiring contract.

"Right now, most people I’m speaking to at this juncture of the offseason, again it’s still early, we’re three weeks out from the draft, it seems like most teams, most front office personnel that I’m speaking to are looking at Kevin Durant as more of a one-year rental trade acquisition and not someone that they would want to go pursue and extend long term.”

Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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