Despite being 36 years old, Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the league. He's the type of player who the Phoenix Suns should be building with, but instead, he is expected to be traded this offseason.
After the Suns tried to trade him without his approval before this year's deadline, Durant and Phoenix have been on the outs, and he is expected to be the hottest name on the trade block this summer.
Plenty of teams who are one piece away, like the Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, and even Dallas Mavericks are expected to make a bid, but one surprise Eastern Conference team is working with some desperation.
Depending on how the Play-In Tournament goes, the Atlanta Hawks are expected to miss the postseason for the second year in a row. With promising youngsters Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Zaccharie Risacher all on the roster, the Hawks have a solid long-term outlook despite owing two picks and a swap to the Spurs.
However, superstar point guard Trae Young might not want to wait. He led them to the Conference Finals in 2021 and hasn't been anywhere close since, and has only one season left on his deal before he can opt-out.
In order to prove to Young that the Hawks are serious about winning, they already persued Durant and are expected to try again this offseason.
"One surprise team that pursued Durant hard at the trade deadline with other teams making calls to Phoenix was the Atlanta Hawks, sources said," reported ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel. "The Hawks, who were also in trade discussions with the New Orleans Pelicans on a deal centered around Brandon Ingram before he was traded to the Toronto Raptors, have been searching for another star to play alongside Trae Young."
However, the Hawks will have to outbid equally desperate teams who have more assets. Atlanta doesn't own its own draft pick in 2025, 2026, or 2027, limiting what it can offer.
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"With Capela becoming a free agent and likely departing, along with other players on expiring contracts, it's unlikely that Atlanta has the assets and money to make a trade for Durant," Siegel finished.
The Suns are asking for three picks and a young player for Durant, which might simply be too steep for the Hawks to make a deal.
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This story was originally published March 30, 2025 at 2:26 PM.