The Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant‘s most popular commerce locations, sources instructed ESPN on Saturday evening. Individuals throughout the NBA have been made conscious in current days that these are the three groups Durant would decide to with a long-term extension.
Durant is on an expiring $54.7 million deal for the 2025-26 season and the Suns have made clear to the six to eight severely groups that they’ll make one of the best deal for the franchise, even when it means buying and selling Durant to a workforce exterior his most popular checklist, sources stated.
Groups across the NBA have been anticipating that Durant could be traded ever because the Suns engaged in talks across the February commerce deadline, which handed with the 15-time All-Star nonetheless in Phoenix.
As soon as he’s traded, Durant will likely be eligible to signal a two-year contract extension July 6 value as a lot as $122 million. If he have been to attend six months after the commerce, he may signal a two-year extension value as much as $124 million.
The NBA free company market resets in the summertime of 2026, with groups which have cap area rising from only one this offseason, the Brooklyn Nets, to half of the league.
Durant was almost traded to the Golden State Warriors on the February commerce deadline earlier than he made it clear that he was not excited about a reunion and most popular to complete the season with the Suns. On the time, sources instructed ESPN that Durant was blindsided by the Suns together with him in any commerce conversations. This time round, the perimeters are anticipated to work collectively on his subsequent dwelling.
Durant, who turns 37 in September, made his fifteenth All-Star workforce this season and averaged 26.6 factors, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 video games. The long run Corridor of Famer has averaged at the least 25 factors, 50% taking pictures and 40% on 3-pointers in three straight seasons, the longest streak ever within the NBA, in accordance with ESPN Analysis. As a shooter, Durant stays prolific: He shot an NBA-best on jumpers (49.7%) and midrange photographs (53.1%). He additionally had one of the best taking pictures share on off-the-dribble jumpers (50.9%), in accordance with GeniusIQ.
The Suns went 36-46 this season and completed in eleventh place within the Western Convention with the best payroll in league historical past, resulting in organizational modifications that culminated in naming government Brian Gregory as the brand new basic supervisor and hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott as their new coach.
Durant arrived in Phoenix in a February 2023 deadline commerce, and his 26.8 factors per sport as a member of the franchise is essentially the most in Suns historical past.