Suns Trade Target Unlikely to Be in Kevin Durant Deal

The Phoenix Suns are expected to trade Kevin Durant very soon, and the Houston Rockets are a team to watch as the recipient of the future Hall-of-Fame forward.

The Rockets have several players that could be traded to the Suns in a deal, but one prospective guard doesn't appear likely to come to Phoenix.

ESPN insider Shams Charania is reporting that the Rockets and Fred VanVleet are mutually interested in a reunion for the 2025-26 season.

VanVleet, 31, has been with the Rockets for the past two seasons and has a team option worth $44.9 million for next year. The team could be looking at opting into the final year of his deal or opting out and re-negotiating a longer deal for VanVleet. Either way, he probably isn't coming to the Suns in a trade for Durant.

The Rockets have been linked as one of the top destinations for a Durant deal, and it will be interesting to see if VanVleet's exclusion in any trade behooves the Suns to move on to another team.

Houston still has plenty of assets to make a deal with Phoenix, including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore and three future first-round picks that are tied to the Suns' success.

VanVleet's contract would have matched up really well with Durant's $54.7 million salary for the 2025-26 campaign, but the team will have to go in another direction.

This makes Green the likeliest player to be included in a trade with the Rockets. Green signed a three-year, $105.3 million extension last offseason, and it goes into effect for the 2025-26 campaign. He will make $33.3 million in the first year and $36 million in 2026-27 before a player option in 2027-28.

The Suns are expected to trade Durant at some point ahead of the NBA Draft on June 25.