Unexpected Prediction Emerges for Kevin Durant’s Next Team

If the Phoenix Suns decide to move Kevin Durant this offseason, there are several teams across the NBA that make sense for his services if they want to be in win-now mode.

Since Durant was shopped ahead of February's trade deadline with the main team then being the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and plenty of other teams have all come up as top trade suitors for the 15-time All-Star.

However, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley made a prediction that the Warriors would once again get involved in the Durant trade discussions and Durant would end up back in the Bay after they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

Buckley wrote:

"While the Golden State Warriors couldn't find a way to survive Stephen Curry's absence in their second-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they did find answers to a few pressing questions about this franchise moving forward. Chief among them, a healthy Curry still seems capable of leading a championship run, and Jimmy Butler fit this group like a tailored suit.

"With their two stars still capable of winning at a high level but also facing the ticking clock that comes from being on the wrong side of 35—descriptors that all fit defensive anchor Draymond Green, too—Golden State could operate with a sense of urgency to upgrade the roster around them. On that end, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Warriors will be 'incredibly aggressive in the marketplace' to find the missing pieces of their championship formula.

"Could that propel Golden State toward making another run at Kevin Durant? The scoring forward nabbed two rings during his previous three seasons with the team, but he rebuffed their attempts for a reunion at the deadline. However, he doesn't sound as if he's wholly against the idea."

Buckley's prediction comes even after the Warriors instead ended up acquiring Jimmy Butler at the deadline and depleted several assets that could have been used to acquire Durant in doing so. Buckley continued with his reasoning:

"Maybe the Dubs weren't Durant's preferred choice then, but that might change this summer. The Phoenix Suns seem stuck, and Durant's trade market looks a little murky. Teams that could've normally had interest may want to hold out and see what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo first. Or see who gets caught up in the Celtics' exodus. Or maybe even see if Phoenix is as resolved to keep Devin Booker as it claims.

"As great as Durant is, he'll be 37 before next season tips and doesn't have the cleanest injury history. It'll take a specific kind of suitor to want what he brings, afford him in a trade and also believe it will have enough left over to contend for a title with him already next season.

"The Warriors potentially check all of those boxes—assuming, of course, the Suns would be interested in their draft picks, pick swaps, young players (like Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski) and a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade. That's a big assumption for now, but our crystal ball thinks that's the best Phoenix can do in a Durant deal and also believes the 15-time All-Star will come around to the realization that he won't find a better hoops home than his previous digs."

Do the Warriors truly still make sense for Durant? We will see what ends up happening in what is shaping out to be a very busy offseason for Phoenix.