Report: Rockets, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves, Knicks Have Expressed Interest In Trading For Suns’ Kevin Durant

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks have expressed interest in trading for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. 

The Suns and Durant’s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met multiple times over the past week and are sifting through trade scenarios. 

Durant, 36, has one year left on his contract. The superstar will make $54.7 million next season. 

Durant turns 37 in September. The small forward averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line.

One of the greatest scorers in NBA history, Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He won two championships and two Finals MVPs with the Warriors but hasn’t gotten back to the NBA Finals since leaving Golden State in 2019. 

The Suns missed the playoffs this year despite having Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. They were so putrid that they didn’t even make the play-in tournament. 

Mike Budenholzer was fired as head coach after just one season in the desert. He was replaced by Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott.

The Rockets lost to the Warriors in the first round of this year’s playoffs in seven games, the Spurs missed the playoffs, the Heat were swept by the Cavaliers in the first round, the Timberwolves lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference finals in five games and the Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the conference finals in six games.