Trade negotiations appear to be in something of a standoff, with Houston having a “firm offer” for Kevin Durant while Phoenix remains “underwhelmed.”
The Rockets continue to have a “firm offer” to trade for Suns star Kevin Durant, but Phoenix continues to be underwhelmed with Houston’s current valuation of the All-Star forward, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. There has yet to be a clear indication of what that offer specifically entails, though Rockets Wire explored the financial possibilities last week.
According to The Athletic’s Iko, Sam Amick, and Jon Krawczynski, the Suns are also relatively uninspired by their options involving the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat — the other two teams on Durant’s list of preferred destinations.
Reports have indicated that the Timberwolves could perhaps bid closer to the Suns’ liking, with established players such as Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo a part of the package. But, to no surprise, The Athletic’s report indicates that Minnesota “does not want to make a seismic change to a roster that advanced to the Western Conference finals, if Durant is not on board with the move.”
With Durant having only one season left on his current contract, surrendering significant value in a trade for a player who is unwilling to extend and could leave for no compensation in 2026 free agency would be very risky.
So, in effect, it’s a standoff. The Suns are waiting out Durant, in hopes that he eventually expands his list of desired teams. Durant and the Rockets (and perhaps the Spurs and Heat, as well) are waiting out the Suns, in hopes that Phoenix eventually accepts a lower offer.
Time will tell as to which side wins out, but the first round of the 2025 NBA draft is next Wednesday, June 25 — and the Suns would undoubtedly prefer to have a deal finalized by that time so that they can make a selection, themselves, for any draft asset they might obtain.
Furthermore, with Durant turning 37 years old in September, there wouldn’t seem to be much value upside to waiting — unless Phoenix is potentially open to rejecting all trade offers (if deemed unsatisfactory) and bringing Durant back into its fold for the 2025-26 season. To this point, there have been no indications of that being a viable scenario.
So, for the time being, it seems both Durant and the Suns are waiting out the other. Teams such as the Rockets are awaiting the outcome.