Following another poor season with the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant’s future with the franchise is hanging by a thread.
Over the last few weeks, Kevin Durant has featured in a plethora of NBA mock drafts as the 36-year-old is reportedly all set to leave the Phoenix Suns this summer.
Western Conference giants Houston Rockets are viewed as one of the teams interested in trading for the Slim Reaper, but it appears that the Suns aren’t interested in their current offer.
Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty ImagesBrian Windhorst uses Kawhi Leonard’s example to ensure Houston Rockets do not overpay for Kevin Durant
The 2024-25 NBA season was Durant’s 17th campaign during his career. He is now 36 years old, but the 2x NBA champ still averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game for the Suns.
There’s no doubt that the former NBA MVP is still a very capable player, but the Suns’ asking price for KD is too high.
The organization needs to bring it down by a few notches. But even if the Suns do not budge from their current position, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst doesn’t think the Rockets should panic and overpay for Durant.
“I’ll tell you one thing: If you’re Houston, who’s shown some interest but hasn’t been willing to put together an offer that seems to compel Phoenix, I’m not increasing my offer at all,” Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast.
The veteran NBA insider used the example of how the Toronto Raptors managed to trade for Kawhi Leonard during the 2018-19 season.
“This is what happened to Toronto: When they got Kawhi, they were just the last team standing.
“If I’m Houston or Miami, I’m like, ’Okay, I’ll sit here and wait with the offer I’m holding,” Windhorst stated.
Well, as we know it, the Raptors ended up winning the 2019 NBA Championship with Leonard on the roster. Although Leonard left the Raptors in the summer, his one-year rental helped Toronto become a city of champions.
What the Phoenix Suns want from the Houston Rockets for Kevin Durant
The Suns originally earned the No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, their pick was dealt to the Rockets.
If the Suns really plan to part ways with Durant, they will likely head for a full rebuild, and having draft capital is extremely important for that plan.
Keeping that in mind, it has been reported that the Suns want their draft pick back in any trade conversations with the Rockets.
While the Suns can remain adamant about this demand, they may have to ultimately lower their asking price to offload the Slim Reaper.
After all, a slightly poor trade return for Durant is still better than the 36-year-old becoming disgruntled and ruining the mood in the locker room next season.