Kevin Durant Trade Watch: Is a Shocking Move Coming Soon?
Trade buzz is reaching a fever pitch as oddsmakers adjust to the latest Durant developments
It’s no secret that Kevin Durant, in all likelihood, played his last game with the Phoenix Suns on March 30. The only way in which this isn’t the case is if the Suns determine that him leaving in free agency after next season is a better option than any trade package they were offered. Given what is likely already being offered by teams, that outcome feels farfetched. This is why the rumor mill has been in full force about where the 18-year vet will play the next few years — potentially his last ones.
The San Antonio Spurs are among the teams rumored to be interested in Durant. Unsurprisingly, as the team looks to take another step forward with Victor Wembanyama still on his rookie deal and De’Aaron Fox heading into his first full season in the silver and black. They’re not the only team, of course, so there are multiple outlets reporting on what information they’re able to find.
The NBA’s biggest news breaker, ESPN’s Shams Charania, posted this to X Wednesday morning:
This doesn’t move the needle in any which way, though. For a move to be made, the Suns need to know the places Durant would be willing to sign an extension with, since a one-year rental is a tougher sell for teams to part with what Durant is worth.
The needle has been moved when it comes to whom the favorite to land him is, however. With all the rumblings about trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo and landing the second pick in the NBA Draft, the Spurs sit atop the odds list. Evan Sidery of Forbes has posted the DraftKings odds three times since May 9.
Here’s how the odds have moved:
May 9:
Suns: +190
Rockets: +250
Mavericks: +750
Timberwolves: +800
Heat: +800
Spurs: +1000
June 9:
Spurs: +110
Rockets: +250
Knicks: +700
Timberwolves: +700
Suns: +700
And this morning, June 11:
San Antonio: -160
Rockets: +600
Knicks: +800
Timberwolves: +850
All this on top of Bill Simmons having said this on his podcast Sunday night:
And while he does say he has no inside info, it’s not the craziest scenario, given we’re in the middle of the NBA Finals and the league wouldn’t want the focus shifted off that.
Beyond that, this is what Brian Windhorst had to say on Get Up Tuesday morning:
So things are definitely heating up surrounding a Kevin Durant trade. Teams are making their calls and doing their due diligence. Just because the Spurs are the favorites doesn’t mean they’ll pull the trigger on the move — there’s a conversation to be had about how odds are moved, but that’s for another time. For now, we just take the rumors as they come and sift through to find what’s believable.
The last thing I want to leave you with is this trade primer Bobby Marks in case you’re unsure of how a trade for Durant would have to work out.