Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets top Kevin Durant’s trade wish list: Report

Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant watching the WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and the Los Angeles Sparks on May 27. PHOTO: AFP

UPDATED Jun 16, 2025, 04:47 PM

Thanks for sharing!

LOS ANGELES – Potential landing spots for Kevin Durant are starting to emerge should the Phoenix Suns trade him, as expected, with the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets his preferred destinations, according to ESPN.

Those are the three teams Durant would commit to for a longer term, per the ESPN report on June 14. He has one season left on his current deal and is set to earn US$54.7 million (S$70 million) in 2025-26.

While word of Durant’s preferences has spread across the National Basketball Association, the Suns also have been clear that they will make the best move for the team, regardless of the desires of the 15-time All-Star.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are also expected to be among the teams in the mix for a trade.

Durant, who turns 37 in September, played in 62 games with the Suns in 2024-25. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks, not far off of his career averages. He also shot 43.0 per cent from three-point range.

Selected to the All-NBA first team six times, Durant has appeared in 1,123 games with the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-19), Brooklyn Nets (2020-23) and Suns.

He has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds. 4.4 assists and 1.1 blocks, shooting 39 per cent from long distance.

Once the new league year begins on July 6, Durant is eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to US$122 million.

The Suns finished 36-46 and missed the NBA play-offs in the 2024-25 seasons. Head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired after just one season.

In other trade news, the Orlando Magic are acquiring guard Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies in a blockbuster deal, ESPN reported on June 15.

In return, Memphis will receive guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round pick swop, per the report.

Bane, 26, was the 30th overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and spent five seasons with the Grizzlies. He has career averages of 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 29.6 minutes per game.

In 2024-25, he exceeded those numbers with 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists. He shot 39.2 per cent from three-point-territory.

A 1.96m shooting guard, Bane has faced injury woes the past three seasons, limited to just 58 games in 2022-23, followed by seasons with 42 and 69 games.

Caldwell-Pope, 32, will provide veteran leadership for the Grizzlies. Now 32, he was selected No. 8 overall in the 2013 draft and has two NBA title on his resume, playing for the Detroit Pistons (2013-17), Los Angeles Lakers (2017-21), Washington Wizards (2021-22), Denver Nuggets (2022-24) and Magic.

He has career averages of 11.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 912 games. In 2024, those numbers were 8.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 77 games.

Anthony, 25, was taken by Orlando with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft. In five seasons and 320 games with the Magic, he has averages of 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Bane had signed a five-year, US$197.2 million contract extension with the Grizzlies in July 2023 and is under contract through the 2028-29 season. REUTERS

More on this Topic

Join  ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Thanks for sharing!