With the NBA Finals going seven games, don’t bet on a resolution to the Kevin Durant trade circus before Monday — the league does not want a trade upstaging Game 7. Not that a deal was imminent anyway, but with the NBA Draft on Wednesday, it’s becoming a small window.
Let’s get into the latest trade buzz, starting with the latest on Durant.
Kevin Durant trade latest
Let’s break down all the KD news via bullet points.
• “Game of Chicken” between Suns, Durant suitors. The Phoenix Suns are not going to trade Durant away for a lowball offer. They know they aren’t going to get back what they gave up to get him, but they still expect a quality return. The teams Durant wants to go to — the Rockets, Heat, and Spurs — have yet to meet that threshold. ESPN’s Shams Charania summed it up well as a “game of chicken.”
“I had one team tell me today it’s kinda a game of chicken at this point. From the Houston Rockets to the Miami Heat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s literally one or two pieces away, either which way, that can get a deal done. … My understanding is they are in talks with those three teams specifically.”
Along the same lines, the Rockets are betting that the price the Suns are asking for Durant will drop, reports ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
This is how negotiations work. The question is, who blinks? Or does something else change that breaks the deadlock?
• Does Durant want Timberwolves? Minnesota is one of those teams mentioned to be in talks with Phoenix, but it’s not one of the teams on Durant’s original list of preferred landing spots. Therein lies the conflict in getting a deal done, report Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
“[The Timberwolves] are said to be reluctant to go ahead with a trade unless they know Durant would embrace it.”
By all accounts, Durant has no interest in the Timberwolves. Would Minnesota follow the path Toronto did with Kawhi Leonard and roll the dice on trading for him and hope he stays (Leonard didn’t)? Minnesota seems unlikely to take that risk, considering their roster has made the Western Conference Finals consecutive years, but nothing is settled.
• Grizzlies not pursuing Durant. Memphis landed four first-round picks in the Desmond Bane trade, which led to some speculation that they might try to flip those and insert themselves into the Durant sweepstakes.
That’s not happening, reports Fischer and Stein, which seems somewhat obvious. I feel like the Grizzlies saying they are not in the running for Durant is a lot like me saying I am taking myself out of the running to date Sabrina Carpenter. Still, the rumor persisted. Along those same lines, forget the rumors that the Grizzlies are going to trade Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr. and rebuild. As previously reported here, league sources shot that idea down to NBC Sports. Or, take Morant’s word for it.
talkin bout the grizz more than the finals😂 wit these 🧢 ahh sources
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) June 17, 2025
DeRozan becomes Durant fallback?
There will be losers in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes, and Stein and Fischer suggested that some of those teams could turn their attention to Sacramento’s DeMar DeRozan, who is considered available. DeRozan will be 36 next season, but is still a midrange assassin who averaged 22.2 points and 4.4 assists per game last season.
If the Kings trade DeRozan in the coming days, it will likely be for a draft pick (and matching salary). They do not currently have a first-round pick, but are reportedly seeking one.
Lakers talking to teams about centers
The Buss family selling the Lakers: Surprise.
The Lakers are reaching out to other teams about their centers: Opposite of a surprise.
The worst-kept secret in the league is the Lakers looking for a rim-running center, so it’s no surprise that Anthony Irwin of Clutch Points reports the Lakers have reached out to the Nets about Nic Claxton, the Jazz about Walker Kessler, and the Trail Blazers about Robert Williams III. All three of them have been linked to the Lakers in the past and are rumored to be available — as is another Lakers’ target (and the best fit of that group), Daniel Gafford of Dallas — but because everyone knows the Lakers need a five other GMs are going to ask for the moon.
Expect this to take some time to play out. The Lakers can keep the idea of signing Clint Capela or Brook Lopez to the taxpayer midlevel exception in their back pocket, but they should aim higher.
76ers want to move up from No. 3 pick in draft
A report came out this week that the 76ers plan to run it back next season with Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey, betting on better health. Of course they are, they don’t have another choice. They are not going to trade the young Maxey. George is close to untradeable, considering his contract and his play last season, and the market for Embiid would not be what they hope for, either.
Daryl Morey is also hoping he could move up one spot — from No. 3 to No. 2 in the draft, reports Marc Stein. That rumor has been circulating for a while, but it would take something very enticing to persuade the Spurs to part with the second pick and Dylan Harper, and the 76ers don’t have that on their roster.
Whatever happens with the No. 3 pick, don’t expect it to be Ace Bailey, who is falling down draft boards around the league and cancelled a workout with Philadelphia.
Bucks to be aggressive in upgrading roster
The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talk has tied down, and what Antetokounmpo told Brazilian publication Coast to Coast only seems to confirm that (translation by Eurohoops).
“The Finals are different, I hope to be back soon with the Bucks.”
The Bucks were not close to making the Finals this season, and it’s hard to picture how that changes next season with Damian Lillard out for most of it due to a torn Achilles. Still, they’re going to try, reports Bobby Marks at ESPN.
“Sources confirmed to ESPN that Milwaukee will be aggressively exploring options in free agency and trades to complement Antetokounmpo.”
The Bucks have the money to use the full $14.1 million midlevel exception, but they don’t have much cap room if they plan to re-sign backup center Bobby Portis (and with Brook Lopez a free agent, they are expected to). Milwaukee can try to find a trade for Kyle Kuzma, but the return there would not be great.
That said, look for the Bucks to try and do something, they need to show Antetokounmpo they are trying.
