Kevin Durant has finally been moved, and it wasn't to San Antonio. The Houston Rockets gave up the right to add a young piece in this year's draft lottery, trading away the number 10 pick overall, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and five second-round picks, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The Spurs weren't even in the final discussions.
Blockbuster trade on the final day of the NBA season. The Suns engaged in deep conversations with the two Durant finalists -- Houston and Miami -- over the last 24 hours and reached agreement on the deal Sunday morning. https://t.co/2rZedTD6q1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 22, 2025
That's not a deal that the Silver and Black couldn't beat. That's a price they just weren't willing to pay, even though they could have easily paid it and kept their future intact. What makes it laughable, though, is the report that the Suns asked the Spurs for Stephon Castle or the number two pick but settled for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. They were never serious with SA, and that's okay.
The Spurs don't need Kevin Durant
The fact of the matter is that KD would have been a luxury addition for San Antonio. There was mutual interest between the Spurs and Durant at the trade deadline, but that's just because Phoenix made him available when nobody really thought it would be the case. It was the De'Aaron Fox situation all over again. When a star player wants to join your roster, of course, you consider it.
This is Victor Wembanyama's team, and even though the Slim Reaper is turning 37 in September, he's still dynamic enough to demand a ton of touches. That would have been fine for the offense overall, but would taking the ball out of Wemby's hands so often limit his growth? It's hard to know for sure, but it's not going to be a question going forward.
The Spurs will be able to run a pick-and-roll-centric offense with Fox and Vic. There are still other players the front office can bring into the fold. If they want to add a veteran wing to this group, Cam Johnson is still reportedly on the market. Maybe they can make a deal with Brooklyn. There's always a deal to be made somewhere. Either way, SA's trajectory hasn't been affected by this development.
It will be more frustrating to deal with the Houston Rockets for a little while, but that's life in the Western Conference. What else is new?