By now, it is almost guaranteed that the Phoenix Suns will trade Kevin Durant. The question is who will blink first, the Suns, or the teams looking to acquire the All-Star forward? All the reports point to three teams as preferred landing spots: the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, and the San Antonio Spurs. And right now, reports say there are two trade assets that the Suns want to get back, but teams on the other end are not willing to include them. Whoever includes their strong trade asset first, will get Kevin Durant.
Two Assets Stand in the Way of a Kevin Durant Trade
Right now, according to the betting odds, the Heat and the Rockets have the highest odds to land KD. But both are reluctant to give up their big trade assets to get Kevin Durant. Both are at +250, with the Spurs looming as the third candidate. But what is stopping the trade to materialize? With the 2025 NBA draft scheduled for next week, June 25th and 26th, we are almost near the end of the road. Teams often want to make trades before the draft or on draft night so that they have a clear vision of how to move forward.
How Can the Rockets Get KD?
The Rockets have been mentioned as a logical destination for Durant for a while. During their first-round battle with the Golden State Warriors, the team lacked a true go-to guy. That is what Kevin does best. With a great supporting cast around him, KD can thrive as the main scorer, and take Houston to the next level. But the Suns want something that right now, Houston is not ready to give up. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Rockets are waiting for the price to fall down. During his appearance on “Get Up” (6:48), he said:
“Houston is really not motivated to dip into the stash of picks that they have, specifically they have two future Phoenix Suns draft picks. That’s what the Suns want back. They literally want some of the stuff back that they traded for Durant. The Rockets went out and acquired that stuff from Brooklyn with the possibility of making a Durant trade. But they don’t want to pay that price right now, and they are wagering that the Suns’ price will come down.”
Those future draft picks are in 2027 and ’29. The Rockets will also get a first-round pick from Phoenix this year. In 2027, they have full control of the Suns’ draft pick. In 2029, the Rockets will get the two most favorable picks among Houston, the Dallas Mavericks’ pick, and the Suns’ pick. Brooklyn will receive the least favorable of the three. If the Rockets decide to go all-in for Durant, those are the juicy picks they might have to give up.
How Can the Heat Get KD?
Unlike the Rockets, the Heat do not control any of the Suns’ future draft picks. But they have something that Phoenix loves, a young player in Kel’El Ware. So far, they have been reluctant to include him in a trade for KD. According to Brett Siegel, a trade is close. He said:
“Although the two sides are not right at the finish line yet in trade talks, one player can get them there. That would be Kel’el Ware, a rookie standout in Miami’s frontcourt who is a giant with his 7-foot-4 wingspan and two-way potential. If the Heat include Ware in a revamped package to what they have already offered, talks with the Suns will reach a whole new level, as he is the player Phoenix wants in discussions with Miami.”
Ware is 20 years old and has tremendous potential. As a rookie, he averaged 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. He even showed some range from outside, shooting 31.5% from behind the arc, albeit on 1.7 attempts per game. He attempted only 111 threes in his rookie year, converting 35 of them.
The Elephant in the Room
The Rockets may not be willing to trade the juicy draft picks for KD because they are waiting to see what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo. While KD is a two-time Finals MVP and perennial All-Star, Giannis is younger. To have any chance at getting the Greek Freak, Houston will have to surrender their Suns picks. Durant might have to wait to see what happens in Milwaukee first before any trade surrounding him happens. Right now, the trade market for KD is not as big as the Suns hoped.
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