The Suns do not rule out leaving Durant! Or be forced to lower the asking price: The Rockets refused to send Jaison Jr. away

On June 18, Beijing time, Durant's trade negotiations are still ongoing, and a number of American media reported that the Suns may lower their asking price for Durant due to Durant's age and trade request. Durant is leaning toward joining the Rockets, Spurs or Heat, and teams are using the Suns' urgency to complete a trade ahead of the NBA draft to put pressure on them. Durant may still be one of the most feared scorers in the NBA, but with his 37th birthday approaching and trade requests emerging, the Suns' bargaining chips are dwindling, and the possibility of keeping Durant in the end cannot be ruled out.

Suns reporter Rankin reportsMultiple league sources believe that the Suns' asking price for Durant is too high and is likely to be forced to lower the price, especially as the 2025 NBA Draft approaches. Ideally, the Suns would be to complete the trade before then, as draft picks are expected to be involved in the trade.

Durant averaged 26.6 points per game last season (sixth in the league) and is still playing well on the court. But he's not the same player who won back-to-back Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018. Now, Durant is in the final year of a four-year, $194 million contract, with a salary of $54.7 million for the 2025-2026 season, and he wants to leave, with fewer and fewer options for the Suns.

"They smell despair," Reggie Miller said in a recent TNT livestream, "and I don't know how they're going to get out of this situation...... If Durant doesn't want to stay somewhere, he's leaving. It's that simple. ”

One NBA scout even said,The team that is trying to trade Durant is just trying to sell jerseys to him。

Favorite next home, limited returns

Shams reports that all three teams Durant has his eye on are interested in signing him to a two-year, $122 million contract extension and have multiple trade assets, but they also know the Suns are pressed for time.

Considering Durant's strong ties to Texas and the distance from Austin, where he spent his only season in college,San Antonio could be particularly appealing to him。 The Spurs, who have Wembanyama and Fox, are also in contention. A trade to send Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell to the Suns would be in line with the salary cap and would also preserve the Spurs' draft flexibility, as they have No. 2 and No. 14 picks.

Houston, meanwhile, could be the best place on the court for Durant. A source told The Arizona Republic that the Rockets need a "Mr. Key," and that's exactly what Durant excels at. He also has close ties with head coach Udoka and assistant coach Ivey, both of whom have ties to Brooklyn and Texas. A deal involving Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Jock Landale is financially viable and would also allow the Suns to acquire young players and potential stocks. However, according to Sidery, who is currently in trade negotiations with the Suns regarding Durant,The Rockets were reluctant to send Jabari Smith Jr. and Eason. The Rockets are willing to send Jalen Green in a trade, but the Suns are not interested in Jalen Green due to his compatibility with Booker.

Miami has the allure of veterans eager to win championships right away, which is something that Durant often yearns for, but the trade chips are tricky. The Heat, who got Wiggins in the Butler trade, could include him, Duncan Robinson and rookie Kyle Weil in the trade package, though the Heat reportedly prefer to keep Weil.

Will the Timberwolves compete?

Outside of Durant's preferred team, the Timberwolves have shown the most interest. All-Star guard Edwards adores Durant, and the Timberwolves have reached the Western Conference Finals twice in a row.

The problem is that Durant doesn't want to go to the Timberwolves, and the Timberwolves probably aren't willing to let go of a key player like Gobert or Randle for a player who may only have a one-year loan. Durant qualifies as a full free agent after the 2025-2026 season.

However, the Suns are said to be looking for a center, and Gobert's name was mentioned in the negotiations.

What do the Suns want?

In February 2023, the Suns paid a huge price for getting Durant from the Nets: Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Jay Crowder and four first-round picks. They are unlikely to get a similar return to what they put in.

The Suns' new owner, Matt Ishbia, has expressed a desire to reinvent the team around "tenacity" and "hard work" after a 36-win season that missed the playoffs. He fired coach Budenholzer and made it clear that he would play a major role in future personnel decisions.

Ishbia said: "When you want to trade a player, it's going to be clear. It's going to be the kind of, oh yes, he's the kind of guy that's it. He's in that mold, and I'm going to be a part of it. It's my job. ”

Other suitors and unlikely teams

The Clippers and Raptors were also in the talks, but neither seemed to be the lead. The Clippers are reportedly reluctant to include Zubac in the trade, and the Raptors are hesitating whether trading Durant with their chips is worth it.

With Durant bent on leaving, teams know the Suns are under pressure to complete a trade before the draft. The Suns have No. 29 and No. 52 picks, while many of Durant's suitors have more valuable assets.

The question doesn't seem to be whether Kevin Durant will be traded, but when, and how much less the Suns will get in return than originally thought. But at this stage, it is the market, not the Suns, who are determining the trading conditions.

Windhorst said: "I wouldn't completely rule out the possibility that the Suns won't be able to make the deal they like and will have to make a choice — for example, we'll just not trade him。”