If you have tried to keep up with the Kevin Durant trade saga, with all its twists and turns on a daily basis, you’re probably mentally drained at this point. While there hasn’t been a whole lot from what would be considered “legit” sources, the rumors have been running rampant to the point that it’s easier to just ignore it all together. Today has been no different, with things starting off with The Athletic stating that the Spurs are Durant’s preferred destination (easy to believe but also doesn’t mean anything).
Out of Kevin Durant's preferred trade destinations, league sources tell The Athletic that he specifically wants to play for the San Antonio Spurs. pic.twitter.com/nVyOZYMsZZ
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 17, 2025
Then, one of the most trusted sources, Shams Charania of ESPN, went viral for appearing give the camera a side eye and nod as Iman Shumpert explained what a good destination San Antonio would be for Durant during Finals coverage last night. Even though Shumpert has no inside knowledge of trade talks and didn’t at all say that’s where Durant was going, fans all over social media were taking Shams’ reaction to mean he knew something, and a deal must be imminent.
Look at Shams's body language when Iman Shumpert mentions the Spurs as KD’s best landing spot.
What does he know?
Maybe I’m just doing too much. ♂️#Spurs pic.twitter.com/pY5w4oQoiP
— Spurs Interaction (@SpursInteracti1) June 17, 2025
But slow down, folks! Shams went on The Pat McAfee Show today to defuse the situation. It was his first time on the show, he said he was just gathering his surroundings, and anything more is overreaction by the “body language expert police”. He went on to explain that the Heat, Rockets and Timberwolves are currently where the Suns’ focus is, and despite the good points Shump made, the Spurs have not an aggressive team in these trade talks. The interest is there, but they aren’t as desperate as those other teams and may prefer to keep stocking their assets for a bigger play down the line.
This shouldn’t be too surprising to fans with level heads, considering it has been continuously reported that the Spurs will not over pay for the soon-to-be 37 year-old. Kirk Goldsberry confirmed as much on Zach Lowe’s podcast, saying the Suns are demanding either the 2nd overall pick or Stephon Castle, but the Spurs aren’t budging on either (and they shouldn’t).
While anything can change at any given moment, at this point it doesn’t seem like the Spurs are the favorites to land Durant because the asking price is too high, and that’s a good thing. The Suns are the desperate team here, not the Spurs, and there are other teams (like the Rockets, Timberwolves and Heat) who may be closer to “one piece away” and more anxious to win now. Meanwhile, the Spurs have more time. They should already be a playoff team if healthy, and it’s reasonable to ask if the amount of assets they would have to give up for Durant to meet the Suns’ current demands could possibly be more of a setback than anything.
The bottom line is the Spurs have no reason to rush things. They aren’t the desperate team here, and they could just as easily wait things out until there’s no other option and the asking price gets lower, even if it drags on into the season. Or, as Shams mentioned, they could be out of the discussion all together and saving their assets for someone else.
If I had to guess, the Spurs’ maximum for Durant is similar to mine: one of either Devin Vassell/Jeremy Sochan/Keldon Johson + Harrison Barnes + Blake Wesley/Malaki Branham + 14th overall pick and one future pick (assuming a third team isn’t involved). Anything more is too much for a player in the 35-and-over club at that price level.