As Kevin Durant trade rumors heat up across the league, one NBA scout has cast doubt on his current value after a miserable season in Phoenix. In a wild statement that went viral this week, the anonymous expert said Durant was no longer capable of leading a team to a championship and that he's not worth a premium trade package at this stage of his career.
“Most teams that want him are teams that just want to sell some jerseys…At this stage of the game, though, he’s 36, 37 years old, I don’t see a real benefit in giving up much for him," said the scout, via Amico Hoops. "He’s not leading anyone to the promised land anymore…A team could take him as a rental to move merchandise for a year, and that’s not a terrible idea. Just don’t mortgage the future. Anyone from that 35-and-over crowd isn’t worth it these days. Kevin Durant is part of that crowd now.”
On paper, Kevin Durant is still an elite NBA athlete, and he put up big numbers last season with averages of 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 42.7% shooting. As a 15x All-Star, 2x champion, 4x scoring leader, and 11x All-NBA player, his resume is impressive, and he's considered one of the defining players of the generation.
So far, Durant has only been traded one other time in his career -- in 2023 to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 pick swap to the Nets. It was a monster haul at the time, and the Suns are looking for a similar deal this summer when they trade him out.
Unfortunately for Phoenix, Durant's stock isn't as high as it used to be, and some critics are doubtful that he's worth giving up any major package. Durant, 36, has been on a steady decline since the 2021-22 season when he averaged 29.9 points per game for the Nets. As his numbers decreased gradually, his teams increasingly struggled to keep up with the competition, and it resulted in a shocking lack of playoff success over the past six years. Now, after an abysmal season in Phoenix, Durant finds himself on the trade block yet again for the second time in two years, but his situation is entirely different than before.
After 16 years in the NBA, Durant is at the end of his career, and he might be better fitted for a sidekick role rather than one as the leading star of a team. But regardless of where he goes or what role he takes, Kevin's arrival is sure to make things exciting for the team he joins, and it will surely help power an elite offense.
With three teams in the running for Durant (Spurs, Rockets, and Heat), it's impossible to be sure where he'll end up, but it's no secret that he prefers the Spurs. Alongside Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, Durant could spend the last stretch of his career with the support he needs to remain competitive in the title race.
If he's able to help the Spurs (or another young team) to a major playoff run next season, it will do wonders for this legacy and disprove all the doubters who continue to question his worth.
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