Ranking 4 best Kevin Durant trade destinations if Suns move him this offseason

02/14/2025 01:57 AM

Kevin Durant may say that he is committed to winning with the Phoenix Suns, but the Suns don’t look like they’re going anywhere fast. Heading into the All-Star break, they have a 26-28 record, which simply won’t cut it in the loaded Western Conference. Try as they will to push for the postseason this year, that will be an uphill climb considering the teams ahead of them in the standings.

Given how many draft picks the Suns gave up to trade for Durant (and Bradley Beal), they may have to trade away their stars to prevent themselves from running into a brick wall in the near future. Thus, it makes sense for the Suns to explore a potential trade that would send Durant away from the Valley to restock their draft pick cupboard.

Durant may be 36 years of age, but he should still drum up plenty of interest on the trade market. He remains one of the best scorers in the association who can take a team to the next level. But which team should pay up an arm and leg to bring Durant in?

Here are four teams that Durant would fit perfectly on if the Suns do decide to trade him away this offseason.

4. Golden State Warriors

This is simply an obligatory mention of the team most linked with Kevin Durant leading up to this year’s trade deadline. The Warriors signaled their intention to push their chips to the middle of the table and reportedly talked to the Suns regarding a potential trade for Durant, but the 36-year-old star shut down that notion, saying that he did not want to return to the Bay.

With Jimmy Butler now on the Warriors, there isn’t a realistic pathway for the Dubs to acquire Durant without giving up the man they traded for. That does not seem feasible whatsoever. But in terms of on-court fit, one would be hard-pressed to find a team that Durant would elevate as much as he would the Warriors, especially considering the history he was with the team.

3. Miami Heat

The Heat are always in the business of acquiring star players, and in the aftermath of the Jimmy Butler trade, there is a huge star void for the team on the wing. Pat Riley always reserves his chips for the best talents available, and if the Suns were to make Kevin Durant available, expect the Heat to try their best in acquiring the 36-year-old star.

It’s not quite clear, however, if the Heat will be willing to trade away draft assets deep into the future to acquire Durant, who, despite being one of the longevity kings in the NBA, is still nearing the end of his career. Will a core of Durant, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro (assuming the Heat manages to keep him away from trade talks) be enough to contend for a championship? That is the risk-reward calculus the front office will have to weigh.

2. San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs may be the worst team on this list, record-wise for this season at present, but they are also one of the teams best positioned to compete for the long haul. As soon as next season, the Spurs should be expected to contend for a top spot in the Western Conference, what with Victor Wembanyama gaining another year under his belt and De’Aaron Fox only elevating the team further. Moreover, the Spurs have young pieces, such as Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan, ready to take the next step in their careers.

If the Spurs were to acquire Kevin Durant, then their pathway to contention becomes that much clearer. Durant is the perfect complement to both Wembanyama and Fox, and he’s a major improvement over their current starting small forward (Harrison Barnes).

However, trading for Durant will cost the Spurs Devin Vassell at the minimum. Will they be willing to part ways with such a highly-regarded member of their young core? Durant may very well be worth it.

1. Houston Rockets

The Rockets have long been rumored to be the team positioning themselves for a trade with the Suns. After all, they acquired the Suns’ picks from the Brooklyn Nets in the Mikal Bridges trade. Thus, a Kevin Durant trade will allow the Suns to rebuild without guilt.

Durant is also the perfect missing piece for the Rockets; Houston is a very good team as is with a 34-20 record at present, and he will be their number one option when the game bogs down in the playoffs. For a team with many inexperienced players, having someone like Durant who’s been through so many postseason wars will also help them brace for the difficulties that lie ahead.

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