San Antonio Spurs Saving Assets to Pursue Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Were Never Interested in Kevin Durant

Future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant wanted to get traded to the San Antonio Spurs this offseason. The Phoenix Suns knew that and tried to help the NBA legend land with the Spurs, who also knew that Durant wanted to play for them. 

However, the Spurs “were never that interested” in Durant, sources told DallasHoopsJournal.com. San Antonio, sources said, never made a trade offer to Phoenix for Durant, who wound up getting traded to the Houston Rockets. 

Why didn’t the Spurs want to trade for Durant? Well, for starters, he turns 37 next season. Secondly, the forward hasn’t had any postseason success since leaving the Golden State Warriors in 2019. 

Kevin Durant won one postseason series with the Brooklyn Nets and one playoff series with the Suns. He’s been swept in the first round of the postseason twice since leaving the Warriors, who won the 2022 championship against the Boston Celtics.

The Spurs are content with the roster they have going into next season. The team is headlined by Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet and rookie Dylan Harper, the second pick in this year’s NBA Draft. 

San Antonio is saving all of its assets for Giannis Antetokounmpo, sources said. Antetokounmpo remains open-minded about leaving the Milwaukee Bucks, according to NBA insider Shams Charania of ESPN. 

The Bucks have won just one postseason series since winning the 2021 championship against the Suns.

“As we sit here on August 4, sources tell me there is nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to stay in Milwaukee or whether he wants to leave elsewhere,” Charania said. “He’s been evaluating his future this entire offseason. I reported way back in mid-May that he’s open-minded about whether his best fit is in Milwaukee or is it a trade elsewhere.”

If Giannis Antetokounmpo ever requests a trade from the Bucks — whether it’s this offseason, next season or next offseason — the Spurs have a bevy of draft picks they can offer to Milwaukee, plus salary filler such as Harper, Johnson, Harrison Barnes and Jeremy Sochan.