It is no secret that the Phoenix Suns are going to trade Kevin Durant this offseason. Already there have been many teams mentioned as possible suitors, although the reality is a deal may be further away than you think right now. This is because the organization wanted to get a new head coach in place first - and in Jordan Ott - they finally have their man.
With Bradley Beal's no-trade clause not helping matters, the onus is on owner Mat Ishbia to build a roster around Devin Booker that will help him compete again. Especially given Booker gave his blessing for Ott - a former Michigan State guy just like Ishbia and General Manager Brian Gregory - to become the leading man in The Valley.
Durant appears to give hint on his next destination.
Of all the teams mentioned to this point as being involved in the Durant sweepstakes - which now also somehow includes the Toronto Raptors - the San Antonio Spurs were one that made sense for a lot of reasons. They've got the right mix of draft picks and young players with serious upside - such as Stephon Castle or even Devin Vassell - to interest the Suns.
Durant could go back to Texas - where he played his college basketball - and he'd get the chance to team up with Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox. This suits all sides, although it is unclear just how quickly the Spurs would jump to the top of the queue in out West. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports however, Durant has apparently told a friend he's likely Spurs bound.
Gambadoro's credibility has been called into question before - but if you're a fan of the Suns and you follow him closely - he also gets plenty of things right as well. For him to be so bullish on Durant saying he is going to San Antonio - particularly as the rumors heat up around where he will go next - is definitely worth taking into consideration.
If you've followed Durant on social media since the season ended as well, then you will know that he's active in engaging with all manner of people on the platform. He has always come across as somebody who does things his way, and telling somebody where he is going to play next does track with that.
Another key piece of information here is that Ishbia has said in the past that he would work with Durant to find a destination that also suited him as well. We've already shown how the Suns would get some sort of compensation back for Durant that they would want - and if he also chooses the Spurs - then Ishbia would get to keep his word to the star.
The idea of those three stars in Texas is a much scarier prospect than what we saw in Phoenix, because of the two-way potential there. Fox is an obvious upgrade over Beal, while Wembanyama is possibly the next face of the league. This saga likely has some twists and turns yet, but this could be a critical moment in where Durant will suit up next season.