Sam Amick of The Athletic said on The Ringer NBA Show podcast that outside of the Nuggets, he isn't sure where the Phoenix Suns can trade Kevin Durant. There is no guarantee that Denver will be interested in KD, either.
Phoenix listened to offers for Durant before the deadline, which surprised everyone, including KD. A deal with Golden State was in the works, but the Suns respected Durant's wish not to be traded midseason. He has one more season left on his current deal ($54.7 million), so if he is traded, the team that acquires him will want more than a single-season commitment.
Durant will be 37 before the season starts, but he still has enough gas left in the tank to help a contender win a championship. Mat Ishbia thinks the Suns will be good enough to be contenders, but that thought has been proven wrong over the past couple of seasons. Phoenix doesn't have the draft assets or financial flexibility to upgrade the roster, but a KD trade could help the team have some breathing room.
The Suns might have some competition in the Durant trade market, as Giannis Antetokounmpo could request a trade from the Bucks this summer. ESPN NBA Shams Charania reported that Giannis is open to leaving Milwaukee for the first time in his career, but to be clear, that doesn't mean he's asked to be traded. At least, not yet. If he does, that will divert all attention from Phoenix and KD.
Will the Phoenix Suns trade Kevin Durant this summer?
The last thing Suns fans want is for the team to run it back again in 2025-26. This past season was bad enough. Phoenix failed to secure a Play-In Tournament berth. The Western Conference isn't getting weaker, but stronger. San Antonio finished below Phoenix in the standings, but the Spurs lost Victor Wembanyama after the All-Star break. The Suns battled with the Mavericks for the final Play-In spot, but Dallas wasn't 100 percent. Cooper Flagg is coming to town, too.
Durant is a future Hall of Famer, but as the past couple of seasons have shown, he can't save the Suns. It'd be in Phoenix's best interest to trade him, but it might mean not getting the exact offer the Suns want. Phoenix won't have leverage in trade discussions.
The Suns are in a position that no other team in the league wants to be in. The future was bright a few years ago, but Phoenix has been on a downward spiral. Hopefully, Giannis will decide to stay in Milwaukee, not just to keep him out of the West, but also to generate more interest in Durant.