The Phoenix Suns have multiple bidders for superstar forward Kevin Durant and are currently working to up their potential return.
Durant has made it clear that he wants to land with one of three franchises: the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs or Miami Heat. All three have engaged in discussions with the Suns about a Durant deal, though none have come strong enough to gain any real traction over the others.
"To this point, league and team sources said, the Spurs, Rockets and Heat have not come forward with offers for Durant compelling enough to get the Suns to bite, which means they will continue to look at the market for a deal that suits them," Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic wrote on Monday, June 16. "Houston has a firm offer on the table but Phoenix, to this point, has been seriously underwhelmed by it."
Amick and Krawczynski added that a league source characterized the Suns' current position as an attempt to "drum up better offers."
According to Evan Sidery of Forbes, Phoenix already has a considerably better off from the Minnesota Timberwolves that involves $110 million center, three-time All-Star and four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert.
"Rudy Gobert is believed to be the best player offered to the Suns thus far in Kevin Durant trade talks," Sidery wrote on X Monday. "The Timberwolves’ offer is built around Gobert [and] Donte DiVincenzo, two win-now veterans. Even though Durant doesn’t want to be there, Minnesota might be the current favorite."
The one roadblock in a deal between the Timberwolves and the Suns is Durant's public disinterest in playing in Minnesota. He will enter the final year of his current contract in the 2025-26 campaign and can assert leverage in where he lands by telling teams he doesn't want to play for that he won't sign an extension to remain with them beyond next year.
"The Timberwolves do not want to make a seismic change to a roster that advanced to the Western Conference finals if Durant is not on board with the move, team sources said," Amick and Krawczynski wrote. "The question now is whether there’s any chance of Durant coming around to the idea."