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Surprise West Team Contacted Suns About Kevin Durant Trade: Report

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zachary Rainey | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 6:59 PM ET

The Phoenix Suns have been a tough team to root for after they were swept out of the NBA Playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves two years ago. Many hoped that the team would improve from that performance but proved to go in the other direction in a hurry. They simply were a bad team on defense, evident by their No. 28 finish in terms of defensive efficiency.

Many speculated that the Suns were looking to trade Kevin Durant at the trade deadline last season, as their hopes for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament grew slimmer by the day. Whether it was Durant pleading with the Suns not to trade him to a particular team, or because the team wanted to make one last push, the team held onto him. But that changed on Sunday.

Surprise West team contacted Suns about Kevin Durant

On Sunday, the Suns traded Durant to the Houston Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, and five second-round picks. The trade is likely the beginning of a rebuild for the Suns, while the Rockets hope this move will put them over the top in a loaded Western Conference.

However, according to Shams Charania, who broke the news of the trade, there was a surprise team that was in the mix for Durant: the Denver Nuggets.

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— Ryan Blackburn (@NBABlackburn) June 22, 2025

It remains unclear what a package from the Nuggets would've looked like to attempt to pair Durant with Nikola Jokic. It would likely have centered around Michael Porter Jr., while sending young talent like Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther, as Christian Braun would have been considered untouchable.

It remains unclear as to what Phoenix's endgame is. As it sits, they currently have a logjam at the shooting guard position, so this is likely just the first of sizable moves the Suns make this offseason. It could prove to be a busy few days for the Suns if they make more moves ahead of the draft on Wednesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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