The Phoenix Suns' offseason has been a busy one after falling short of the NBA Playoffs with a 36-46 record. The Suns finished as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference a year after getting swept out of the playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Shortly after the season's conclusion, the Suns announced they were parting ways with head coach Mike Budenholzer. More changes followed quickly, as the Suns moved James Jones into a senior advisory role and inserted Brian Gregory as general manager.
Paul George, NBA Trade, Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant dunks against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Two teams emerge as "most likely" to land Kevin Durant
Brian Gregory is someone that Mat Ishbia trusts deeply, going back to their days at Minnesota State when Ishbia was a player and Gregory an assistant coach. One of his first orders of business will likely be how to navigate the situation with Kevin Durant.
Rumors were circulating at the trade deadline that the Suns were looking to move him, but no such deal was ever made. Instead, they made one more run at trying to sneak into the NBA Play-In Tournament, but those hopes were dashed when Durant suffered an ankle injury.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, two teams stand out as the most likely destination for Durant.
“Things are obviously fluid at this stage, but the two teams most frequently cited as potential landing spots for Durant entering Saturday's business, league sources say, were Minnesota and Miami,” Fischer wrote.
The Suns will likely do everything they can to appease Durant's wishes, but since he doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, it's ultimately up to the Suns as to which team they send him to. They're not in a position to turn down a better trade package just to make Durant happy on his way out the door.
Miami doesn't have much to offer Phoenix, and the friendship between Durant and Anthony Edwards following their participation for Team USA is noteworthy.
The Suns could move Durant sooner rather than later, especially if the deal involves first-round picks with the 2025 NBA Draft less than two weeks away.