On Wednesday, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that Kevin Durant staying with the Phoenix Suns hasn't been "fully ruled out yet" (subscription required).
The Suns listened to offers for Durant before the February deadline, and even had a deal in place with the Warriors. However, KD didn't want to be traded midseason, and Phoenix respected his wish. The team finished the season with a 36-46 record, missing the Play-In Tournament entirely.
Phoenix fired Mike Budenholzer after its season ended, and demoted James Jones, promoting Brian Gregory to GM. Gregory and the Suns' focus is on finding a new head coach, not a Durant trade. At least not yet. Fans hope a KD deal will materialize, not because he is no longer a high-level player, but because Phoenix needs to recoup some of the assets it lost the past few years. Mat Ishbia doesn't want to trade Devin Booker (who also wants to stay in the desert), so trading KD is the Suns' best option.
Insider reports that Durant staying with Suns hasn't been ruled out
Fischer reported that Phoenix hasn't "initiated" a bidding war for Durant yet, but that isn't unusual. The NBA season is still going, with four teams left in the playoffs. The real offseason hasn't begun. As ESPN's Brian Windhorst said, teams are waiting to see what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo. If he requests a trade from Milwaukee, that will divert attention away from KD.
The Suns' priority (after hiring a new coach) needs to be getting the best-possible haul for Durant. He still has more than enough left in his tank to help a contender win a title, something that won't happen in Phoenix anytime soon. Gregory needs to recognize that, and if possible, capitalize on it.
If the Suns run it back in 2025-26, it could end with another failed season. The West should be even better next season, with Victor Wembanyama returning for the Spurs and Cooper Flagg going to the Mavericks. Who knows? Maybe Giannis will switch conferences in time for next season.
Gregory inherited a mess — one he can start to clean up with a Durant trade. He can't control how Giannis' future plays out, but he needs to do everything possible to pull off a KD trade this offseason. Gregory isn't out to win over the fan base, but depending on the haul, he might give Suns fans some optimism about the future.