The Rockets officially offer Durant! The Suns are very disappointed with the Houston chips: Hopefully, KD is willing to consider the Timberwolves

On June 17, Beijing time, The Athletic reported the progress of Durant's negotiations.The Rockets have made a formal offer to the Suns, but the Suns are very disappointed with the chips the Rockets are willing to give.

Previously, sources revealed that there are three teams on Durant's list of preferred trade destinations: the Spurs, the Rockets, and the Heat. The Suns have made it clear to the Durant camp that they need to prioritize the best return the team can get in a trade. In addition, they seem to be more focused on getting instant players who can help right away, rather than prioritizing draft picks.

The Timberwolves, which Durant is reluctant to join, seem to have an offer option that can attract the Suns, and a trade offer with Gobert or Randle as the core may give the Suns hope of continuing to compete for the championship. With the Spurs, Rockets, and Heat offers so far not attractive enough,League sources say the Suns are hoping that Durant will be interested in the possibility of joining the Timberwolves.

According to team sources,If Durant doesn't accept to join the Timberwolves, the Timberwolves don't want to make major changes to the roster that has reached the Western Conference Finals.The question now is, is it possible for Durant to change his mind?

The Athletic cites Butler's case. In February, then-disgruntled Heat star Butler initially told the Warriors that he had no intention of signing a contract extension if he was traded to the Bay Area. Ironically, Butler wanted to go to Phoenix at the time. But when the Suns were clearly unable to make an offer to attract the Heat, Butler changed his mind and paved the way for a move to Golden State. He signed a contract extension with the Warriors, reinvigorating the struggling team and helping them reach the second round of the playoffs.

So far, the Spurs, Rockets, and Heat have yet to make an offer for Durant that would be acceptable to the Suns, meaning the Suns will continue to look in the market for a deal that suits them. As one competitor executive put it:"Phoenix is trying to generate a better offer."

As for the Heat, they will certainly want to pair Durant with Bam Adebayo and Herro, but it remains to be seen if they have enough trade packages or chips to close the deal. Deals with the Heat could include veterans like Duncan Robinson ($19.8 million next season) and Wiggins ($28.2 million), but it's doubtful that those types of players can actually make a difference for the Suns.

The Timberwolves had extensive discussions with the Suns about a Durant trade before the trade deadline in February, and the two sides have reopened talks in the past few weeks when it became clear that the Suns were ready to make a move. But according to coalition sources, the situation then and now has changed substantially.

In February, the Timberwolves negotiated with the Suns on the premise that they believed Durant was open to joining the Timberwolves. He and Edwards have a deep affection for each other. Both Durant and Timberwolves president of basketball operations, Tim Connelly, have deep backgrounds in the Washington, D.C. area and know each other very well. Durant's potential pairing with McDaniels, whose perimeter defense is among the best in the league, would allow him to shine on the offensive end while taking on easier defensive duties than he did with the Suns.

ButIn the most recent round of negotiations with the Suns, the Timberwolves learned that Durant would prefer to go somewhere else — specifically, the Spurs, according to league sources。 Now, it's up to Durant to change his mind.