Suns Kevin Durant trade could happen in the next few days as finalists emerge

Charania on the finalists for Suns Durant:

Six to eight teams have reached out to Phoenix on what the franchise’s ideal package for Durant, with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and Houston Rockets as the top contenders. All of those teams have showed interested in the past in the former MVP, but will all have their best shot in securing Durant to their roster.

Minnesota has tried to pair its young superstar in Anthony Edwards with an establish all-time player like Durant. Edwards has said that the 36-year-old is his favorite player in NBA history and could be a dream come true for the young guard. The Timberwolves have had back-to-back gentlemen sweeps in the Western Conference Finals and look to need on more move to make the jump to the Finals.

Miami has no real reason to trade for Durant. The franchise snuck its way into the Playoffs by winning to Play-In game, and then proceeded to have the most lopsided first-round series of all-time. General manager Pat Riley just traded six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and look to replace him with Durant. However, the roster’s current construction won’t benefit greatly with the addition of a player like Durant.

Houston has the greatest incentive to trade for the former Texas longhorn. The Rockets traded for the Suns picks last offseason to ramp up for a Durant trade. Then, after flaring out in the first round of playoffs as the second seed, Houston has all the motivation to take a risk on the older Durant on a one-year deal to try and make the jump into serious contenders.

The Rockets could offer the Suns the best package for Durant with the draft assets and the young prospects on the roster. If general manager Brian Gregory could recoup the franchise’s pick, while receiving Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and/or more in return, he would have to jump at the opportunity to try and salvage the team from last year’s embarrassment of a season.