After days of trade speculation, including rumors of a potential return to the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant finally learned his fate at Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
He’s not going anywhere.
ESPN’s Shams Charania had teased a potential move earlier in the week, saying Durant was the subject of ‘aggressive trade talks’ around the league.
Ultimately the Suns couldn’t find a deal that worked, meaning Durant, who is under contract for next season, can avoid another move in a career that’s been defined by them.
The last active player to suit up for the Seattle Super Sonics prior to their Oklahoma City defection, Durant was traded twice over his lengthy career before Thursday’s deadline.
The first time, in 2019, Durant was part of a sign-and-trade deal from Golden State to Brooklyn after his decision to team with friend Kyrie Irving on the Nets. Durant was recovering from a ruptured Achilles at the time and would miss the following season in Brooklyn, where he, Irving, and James Harden failed to gel amid a series of injuries and other distractions.
Kevin Durant and and Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons are seen on Monday
Durant was the centerpiece of new Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s rebuilding efforts in Phoenix. Ishbia (pictured) had an estimated luxury tax bill of $164 million this year
All three would eventually be traded out of Brooklyn by Nets GM Sean Marks.
Durant’s ticket out of borough came two years ago, when he became the centerpiece of new Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s rebuilding efforts in Phoenix.
He did not come cheaply, however. Phoenix surrendered Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four unprotected future first-round picks, while the Suns have added Bradley Beal at an average cost of $53 million over each of the next three years.
As a result, the Suns were left with a $230 million payroll on top of a gargantuan $164 million estimated luxury tax bill, according to Spotrac.com.
The results have been underwhelming. Nearly four years after reaching the NBA Finals with coach Monty Williams, the Suns are now 25-25 under former Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, who replaced Frank Vogel after a 49-33 season in 2023-24.
Durant has remained his usual productive self, averaging 26.9 points a game while draining close to 40 percent of his 3-poiunt attempts and an impressive 58.3 percent from inside the arc. And he’s doing this at 36 – an age when most NBA players are retiring or at the end of the bench, as he reminded Sonics legend Gary Payton during a recent Suns-Warriors game.
Durant was the subject of trade talks between Phoenix and his former team, Golden State, but the Warriors instead chose to trade for disgruntled Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler to bolster their postseason hopes.
Currently the Suns and Warriors are tied for 10th in the Western Conference, meaning both are in danger of missing the play-in tournament as well as the playoffs.
