Suns' Offseason Only Begins With Kevin Durant Decision

The Phoenix Suns' offseason started earlier than anticipated after a 36-46 record, which prompted changes from the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer to the hire of new general manager Brian Gregory.

While the Suns are still in search for their fourth head coach in as many years, the real fun in Phoenix begins when Kevin Durant's future is settled.

For months, speculation around Durant and where he may go next has kept NBA trade rumor mills alive and well. As we inch closer to the 2025 NBA Draft, that only appears to be heating up.

B/R: Suns Need to Figure Out Kevin Durant's Future

"Kevin Durant's future with the Phoenix Suns will inform everything else the franchise does this summer," wrote Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.

"Trading him doesn't necessarily signal a rebuild unless the team is getting back its own first-rounders. But will the Suns prioritize flipping him for multiple rotation players who help them win now? What about another big name? Do they consider his exit a vehicle through which they'll skirt the second apron and slash their luxury-tax bills?

"Conversely, is there any chance Phoenix just holds onto him? And if it does, how will general manager Brian Gregory go about, at minimum, escaping the second apron? Waiving the non-guaranteed deals for Vasilije Micić and Cody Martin just about does the trick, but the Suns still need to increase the depth of their rotation with or without KD.

"Change is coming in Phoenix. To what extent, though, remains to be seen. Clarity begins with tackling KD's future."

Recently, NBA insider Brian Windhorst revealed there's still a very strong chance the Suns are trading Durant:

"Kevin Durant, I'm like 98% sure he's not gonna be a Sun next year, how it works out though I'm about 1% sure. There's gonna be a number of teams interested, but some of it is gonna depend on whether they see Durant as a player they keep on a one-year contract or if they want to get him and give him an extension, which I suspect he's going to want."Brian Windhorst on Kevin Durant's future

Durant has just one year left on his contract remaining and is rumored to want an extension that would put him at $60 million annually.

The Suns still have plenty to sort through, though Durant is obviously the biggest domino that needs to fall before Phoenix can figure themselves out for not only the 2025-26 season - but beyond.