Explosive rumor suggests Kevin Durant open to moving to Suns' rival out West

It has long been accepted that Kevin Durant is going to be traded by the Phoenix Suns this season, but quite where that is going to be is a much more difficult question to answer. It really depends on what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, as other teams are going to try and add the 30-year-old Greek superstar before considering Durant.

Should Giannis be on the move - or indeed stay in Milwaukee - attentions will then turn to the 36-year-old future Hall of Fame player. Not that everybody thinks Durant should up and leave The Valley this summer. We also know there was interest from the Golden State Warriors to again acquire Durant at the trade deadline, but that didn't happen.

San Antonio Spurs are the stealth team to watch in a Durant trade.

But according to Shams Charania of ESPN - in a recent interview on The Pat McAfee Show - the San Antonio Spurs also apparently showed interest in Durant prior to the deadline passing. Not only that, but Charania went as far as to say that "I think Kevin Durant's another guy (the Spurs have interest in as well as Giannis), where there was mutual interest at the deadline."

The mutual interest is the key here - because if you go back to that potential Warriors deal that never happened and instead ended with them adding Jimmy Butler - it was Durant's lack of desire to go back to San Francisco that caused the deal to fall apart. By all accounts the Suns were up for it, but owner Mat Ishbia has always been vocal in saying he would work with Durant if he wanted to leave.

So the fact he would be open to going to the Spurs - while not surprising for lots of reasons - is also exciting for Phoenix. Durant played his college ball in Texas, while the prospect of teaming up with Victor Wembanyama as his career enters potentially its final chapter is enticing for Durant. He has always just loved the game, and playing with Wembanyama would be a massive thrill.

The fit next to Devin Booker - although lethal at times - just hasn't led to the kind of success envisioned by both player and organization either. It is all well and good that the Suns would be willing to make Durant's wishes come true as he moved on to yet another franchise, but there has to be something good in it for them as well.

Which there most certainly would be as the Spurs have the second pick in this year's draft and no real need for it if they add Durant. Or they could keep it and flip Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle to the Suns, in a move that would surely excite the fanbase. The prospect of a Booker/Castle backcourt - with Bradley Beal coming off the bench - sure sounds like a nice place to start to build a team.

There would be more goodies added to the deal as well, and the Spurs are in position financially to give Durant the kind of extension he will be looking to sign after his current deal expires at the end of next season. All is quiet on the Durant front right now - but when you put all of the pieces of this one together - do not be surprised if the Spurs become the new home of Durant.