It sounds like Kevin Durant is on the verge of being traded and the Suns superstar reportedly has a wish list of teams he would like to join.
Watch every game of The NBA Finals LIVE with ESPN on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
It has long been known that Durant is unlikely to play at Phoenix next season, with the Suns even discussing a potential move involving the 15-time All-Star ahead of the trade deadline.
While that didn’t eventuate, another underwhelming season — which saw Phoenix finish 11th in the Western Conference — only further put Durant on the path to being traded.
And speaking ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, ESPN insider Shams Charania said Durant could be traded before the end of next week.
“I think there’s some motivation with some teams, potentially even sooner than seven days, maybe in the next few days we could get some Kevin Durant trade action,” he said.
“There is some serious traction on conversations and trade scenarios.”
Charania then revealed on Sunday in a report for ESPN that the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are Durant’s preferred trade destinations.
Durant is on an expiring $54.7 million deal for the 2025-26 season and once traded, will be eligible to sign a two-year contract extension on July 6 worth as much as $122 million.
Additionally, if Durant waited another six months after the trade, he could sign a two-year extension worth up to $124 million.
Either way, it complicates matters further for any team trying to trade for Durant given there are no guarantees he could be in it for the long haul.
However, Charania reported that Miami, San Antonio and Houston are the three teams Durant would be willing to commit to with long-term extensions.
Pacers take Finals lead at home | 02:05
Of course, the next question is whether those are the same teams Phoenix would be interested in trading Durant to.
Well, according to Charania there are two teams that both Durant and the Suns seem to be keen on negotiating with.
The ESPN insider previously reported that “the focus” of Phoenix’s conversations have been on the Rockets, Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves.
As for what the Suns could be after in a potential Durant package, Jake Fischer reported that they are “hoping to acquire a measure of quality draft capital”.
With that in mind, Fischer reported Phoenix has been looking into a number of first-round prospects in this year’s draft with the “belief they will obtain at least one meaningful selection”.
Despite that, with Devin Booker still on the roster, Fischer reported that the Suns have no desire to enter a rebuild and so that is also worth keeping in mind when it comes to the potential packages any teams could offer Phoenix.
OKC tie Finals after SGA drops 34 | 02:18
For example, the Heat could offer starting-calibre players like Andrew Wiggins and Duncan Robinson along with first-round picks.
In contrast, Fischer reported that sources claim “Phoenix is not enamored with the players San Antonio has made available in the teams’ talks to date”.
Fischer singled out Miami and Minnesota as the two teams “most frequently cited as potential landing spots” for Durant, according to his sources.
“San Antonio and Houston — and to a lesser extent both the LA Clippers and Toronto — have also been frequently mentioned by executives throughout the league as teams with varying degrees of interest in trading for Durant,” he added.