Kevin Durant is expected to be pursued by the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. ESPN’s Shams Charania was first to report.

The Phoenix Suns are widely expected to move on from Durant in the summer due to significant tax implications. Being a second apron team while being out of the playoff picture is not going to cut it.

There is a belief that anyone not named Devin Booker is a trade candidate in Phoenix. In the case of Bradley Beal, that comes with an asterisk as he has a no-trade clause.

That trade clause already had a significant bearing on the Suns’ ability to make moves in the summer. Most notably, despite being the team most strongly linked to Jimmy Butler, they were unable to acquire him.

Durant is currently out with an ankle sprain and may miss the remainder of the regular season. He has averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 62 games. He’s shot 52.7 percent from the field including 43 percent from three-point range.

It is expected that the Suns will work together with Durant in finding a trade that suits both parties. On that note, let’s look at the teams at the top of the list and determine the best fit.

Reporting for NBA Today with @malika_andrews on the potential summer of change coming to the Phoenix Suns: pic.twitter.com/73BB8aQdYP

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2025

Spurs Offer Durant Alien-Like Pairing With Wemby

In San Antonio, the Spurs would likely be looking to slot Durant alongside Victor Wembanyama and the recently acquired De’Aaron Fox.

The Spurs have a lot of young pieces to offer but it remains to be seen if they would be willing to concede rookie standout Stephon Castle in a deal.

One would imagine Devin Vassell would surely be part of the deal along with this season’s first-round pick that projects to be in the top 10. Including Castle would certainly present a very tempting offer to Phoenix. If not, one would imagine a plethora of other young players would have to be included.

Durant and Wembanyama would represent a futuristic basketball nirvana. Two seven-footers (regardless of what Durant wants us to think) who offer plenty of length and mobility on the outside while being absolute nightmares on the offensive end. Fox’s speed and overall dynamism would be a major tertiary problem around those two superstars.

The Spurs were in contention for the Play-In Tournament while Wembanyama was healthy but would surely look for a spot in the top six if Durant can be acquired. Is that good enough for Durant when he’ll be 37-years-old? We know he likes his surefire contender status.

Rockets Would Offer Instant Contention

The biggest thing the Rockets lack right now is a closer. Their clutch offense has been a major issue all season, often coming to a complete halt. While posting a solid offensive rating, that increasingly looks like a house of cards because of how much the team relies on offensive rebounding.

Durant would provide a massive solution to their offensive woes. Still a capable defender, Houston’s defense would allow him to age more gracefully on that end of the floor and be the unstoppable force he continues to be on the other end.

What will be key for Houston is finding a way to do the deal while keeping Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. Jalen Green would certainly be made available in a potential Durant trade but Phoenix may not see Green as a suitable long-term fit next to Booker.

Does something with Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith, and Dillon Brooks serve as a starting point for the Suns?

What Would Knicks Realistically Offer?

New York has already surrendered significant draft capital in acquiring Mikal Bridges. Karl-Anthony Towns has been tremendous since joining the Knicks and he along with Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby look like the most logical long-term fits.

Does this means Bridges ends up going back to the Suns? Wouldn’t that be hilarious. Josh Hart would also have to be included to build up to making the salaries workable. It feels as if this is something that would take a lot of work to make sense.

There’s probably a third team that needs to be involved as well.

From a basketball standpoint, slotting Durant next to Brunson, Towns, and Anunoby would be fantastic to watch. You have the bruising manner of Brunson, the hyper efficiency of Anunoby, and then the silky, smooth skills of Towns and Durant.

Is Durant Open To Living In Minnesota?

From a basketball standpoint, Durant next to Anthony Edwards at this stage of their respective careers makes a lot of sense on both sides. Rudy Gobert on the back end, but who remains in Minnesota?

The Suns would have to be amenable to taking on Julius Randle. Beyond that, they would likely want Jaden McDaniels and future assets.

When considering external factors, one has to evaluate whether Durant would actually be open to joining the Wolves. Since leaving Oklahoma City, Durant’s markets have been Golden State, Brooklyn, and Phoenix.

The salary-matching could get very complicated here as well.

Can Heat Rebound with Durant After Butler?

Now, pivoting from Jimmy Butler to Durant in such a short span of time would certainly be a heck of a way to bounce back.

The new core appears to be in place between Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo, and Kel’el Ware for the Heat. Miami has won six games in a row but are a long way from title contention.

Does Andrew Wiggins get moved once again? Being the centerpiece of deals for both Butler and Durant within a year would certainly be something.