Some were surprised that the Phoenix Suns opted to retain Kevin Durant after February's NBA trade deadline passed. The 36-year-old superstar was linked to several franchises, yet no deal was struck.
After this season, Durant will have one year left on his four-year, $194.2 million contract extension, which he signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2021 before his eventual 2023 trade.
Some may believe Durant could be traded by the Suns and sign a new contract elsewhere this offseason, but NBA analyst Rachel Nichols explained why that may not be the case while appearing on "The Herd."
"Kevin Durant is still extremely valuable to have," Nichols began.
Could Kevin Durant stay with the Suns over the summer? @Rachel__Nichols tells @ColinCowherd why the biggest question mark in Phoenix might be Bradley Beal pic.twitter.com/sPiTFjECh4
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 28, 2025
"(Bradley Beal) does not fit with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. And in fact, not only moving (Beal) to the bench, which they have done, when he doesn't and he's out hurt right now, this team is 13-3 when he doesn't play and the other two do.
"To me, one of the big questions of where does K.D. go this summer. It could be Miami who want him. It could be the Rockets who want him. However, maybe there's a (way) he could stay in Phoenix if they can get Bradley Beal to accept and want a trade. If they get that flexibility and freedom, I'd be curious at least of what the possibilities are if they can keep Kevin Durant and Booker together, because I do think they play great together."
While Nichols paints a rosy picture of the Suns' situation, Phoenix is 35-38 this season and is the 11th seed in the Western Conference. With nine games left in the regular season, the Suns can still qualify for the Play-In Tournament, which is scheduled for April 15-18.
Durant is averaging 26.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 blocks this season.
In 2023, Phoenix traded five first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027, 2028 & 2029), Jae Crowder, Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges to Brooklyn in exchange for Durant and T.J. Warren.
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This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM.