One of the top Western Conference teams has emerged as the betting favorite to land Kevin Durant after the Phoenix Suns failed to make the playoffs.
No. 2 seed Houston Rockets are the odds-on favorites at Bovada at +120, while the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs are tied as distant second favorites at +325. The other potential landing spots for Durant are the New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, who are all tied as longshots at +700.
Durant’s future, along with Bradley Beal, will come to focus this summer as the Suns look to re-tool around Devin Booker after they failed to make the playoffs amid championship expectations. Their disastrous season led to the firing of Mike Budenholzer, the second champion coach to get the pink slip in consecutive years after Frank Vogel, who fared better last year.
The Suns will be having a new head coach for the fourth time in as many seasons since Mat Ishbia bought the franchise in 2023.
The Suns nearly traded Durant back to the Warriors at the trade deadline. But Durant nixed the deal when he learned about it.
They are expected to revisit trade talks this summer, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“Phoenix is expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant and will have discussions on the future of Beal, according to sources. Multiple teams will seriously pursue Durant, who finished another stellar season, and the franchise is expected to work with Durant and his business partner and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer,” Charania wrote.
Durant has one year left on his four-year, $194 million contract. He is due for $54.7 million next season.
Kevin Durant Had ‘Mutual Interest With 5 Teams
Charania reported on April 2 that Durant had mutual interest with five teams at the trade deadline.
“Back at the NBA trade deadline, there was a list of teams that there was mutual interest with Kevin Durant,” Charania said on “The Pat MacAfee Show” at the time. “Those teams, from my understanding, are Minnesota, that’s New York, Houston, San Antonio and Miami.
“Those are the types of teams, from my understanding, that had interest then, and I expect them all to be in the mix this offseason. But the biggest thing to keep an eye on for all NBA fans and fans of those teams is: How does your team finish in the playoffs? How do the playoffs go? Because that’s going to really determine who feels like they’re a Kevin Durant away.”
Among those five teams, it was the Timberwolves who heavily pursued Durant at the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“Another small market team to watch — the Minnesota Timberwolves,” Windhorst said on “Get Up” on Thursday, March 6. “Anthony Edwards and KD have a very tight connection, also from the Olympics. The Timberwolves tried to pull off a crazy trade at the deadline for KD. Look for them to revisit those talks this summer.”
Rockets, Spurs Named Ideal Suns’ Trade Partner
The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin named the Rockets and the Spurs as the two teams that “make sense as trade partners for first-round picks.”
“Sources informed The Republic the most ideal return on a Durant trade is regaining three first-round picks and a young player as part of a multi-team deal tied to getting under the second apron,” Rankin wrote.
The Rockets have control of three of the Suns’ next three first-round picks in addition to their own draft selections and a deep group of young prospects, including the underutilized No. 3 pick Reed Sheppard.
On the other hand, the Spurs also have six of their own picks through 2031 and first-round picks from Atlanta (unprotected in 2025 and 2027) and Boston (top-one protected, with a swap option in 2028). Additionally, they have a first-round pick from Sacramento (with a swap option in 2031) and a most favorable first-round pick between Dallas and Minnesota (top-one protected, with a swap option in 2030).
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Betting Favorites Surface for Suns’ $194 Million Star After Disastrous Season