The Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant’s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met multiple times over the past week and are sifting through trade scenarios, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.
The two sides are expected to work together on potential destinations.
Teams that have expressed interest in Durant, sources said, mainly feature the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Several wild-card suitors have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven to 10 days, sources said.
Teams around the NBA have been anticipating that Durant would be traded ever since the Suns engaged in talks around the February trade deadline, which passed with the All-Star still in Phoenix.
Suns officials and Kleiman will continue to meet on trade conversations — with talks expected to escalate before the NBA draft later this month.
Durant is on a contract worth $54.7 million for the 2025-26 season, giving him some leverage in navigating his future in partnership with the Suns. As trade talks progress, his desire for a long-term extension could prove a critical factor.
Once he is traded, Durant will be eligible to sign a two-year contract extension on July 6 worth as much as $122 million. If he were to wait six months after the trade, he could sign a two-year extension worth up to $124 million.
The NBA free agency market resets in the summer of 2026, with teams that have cap space increasing from just one this offseason, the Brooklyn Nets, to half of the league.
Durant was nearly traded to the Golden State Warriors at the February trade deadline before he made it clear that he was not interested in a reunion and preferred to finish the season with the Suns. At the time, sources told ESPN that Durant was blindsided by the Suns including him in any trade conversations. This time around, the sides are expected to work together on his next home.
Durant, who turns 37 in September, made his 15th All-Star team this season and averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games. The future Hall of Famer has averaged at least 25 points, 50% shooting and 40% on 3-pointers in three straight seasons, the longest streak ever in the NBA, according to ESPN Research. As a shooter, Durant remains prolific: He shot an NBA-best on jumpers (49.7%) and midrange shots (53.1%). He also had the best shooting percentage on off-the-dribble jumpers (50.9%), according to GeniusIQ.
The Suns went 36-46 this season and finished in 11th place in the Western Conference with the highest payroll in league history, leading to organizational changes that culminated in naming executive Brian Gregory as the new general manager and hiring Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ott as their new coach.
Durant arrived in Phoenix in a February 2023 deadline trade, and his 26.8 points per game as a member of the franchise is the most in Suns history.
