Kevin Durant trade rumors: Latest news, updates as Suns star lands with Rockets in blockbuster deal

The NBA superstar is on the move

Kevin Durant is headed to Houston. Just hours before Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns have traded Durant to the Rockets to end weeks, if not months, of speculation.

In return, Phoenix gets back Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, according to ESPN.

The writing had been on the wall for the Suns and Durant since Phoenix attempted to trade him to the Golden State Warriors without his knowledge. He eventually got wind of the negotiations and squashed the deal, but it was clear that his brief tenure in Phoenix would come to an end.

The Suns wound up missing the playoffs. They hired a new coach and general manager. And now, with the playoffs nearly over and the draft around the corner, they've found a new home for their star.

As for the Rockets, they get the half-court bucket-generator they need and an offensive centerpiece that they now hope will take them to the next level.

[Jun 22, 2025 at 12:53 pm ET · Kate Feldman]

Kevin Durant is a Rocket

Kevin Durant trade: Rockets land Suns star in NBA blockbuster as Jalen Green headlines return

Sam Quinn

[Jun 22, 2025 at 10:42 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Kevin Durant trade reportedly 'very close'

The Durant sweepstakes may finally be coming to an end. John Gambadoro, a longtime Phoenix sports radio host, says he hears that a Kevin Durant trade is "very close." There were no frontrunners listed in the report, but Gambadoro says a deal could happen Sunday or Monday.

Earlier this week, the Heat and Rockets were considered the favorites for KD. The Spurs, Timberwolves and Knicks were known to be in the mix, too. The Suns might pull off a trade hours before or after the NBA season ends -- Thunder vs. Pacers Game 7 is set for Sunday night -- but they likely want to get a deal done ahead of the NBA Draft on Wedesday.

Kevin Durant next team odds: Rockets favored to acquire Suns star

Chinmay Vaidya

[Jun 21, 2025 at 3:03 pm ET · Brad Crawford]

Timberwolves need acknowledgement from Durant

Minnesota's one condition to dive into further trade discussions with the Suns involves ensuring Durant sees a future with the franchise. Phoenix continues to be "underwhelmed" by offers, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, who believes San Antonio and Houston remain the frontrunners with Minnesota also of interest.

Durant and his agent, Rich Kleiman, have been in step throughout the process, but Minnesota needs more than a rental promise from the two-time MVP to warrant a lengthier discussion.

"It's really clear Phoenix likes what Minnesota could potentially offer, but the Timberwolves have made it clear they're not in this Kevin Durant game unless they're confident he wants to be there," Amick said Saturday on a daily podcast. "So, you can sense the Suns trying to convince Kevin to add Minnesota to his list and it's just a question, what if he doesn't and what might they have on the table that does not involve extensions."

[Jun 21, 2025 at 10:25 am ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Suns hoping for 2025 first-round pick in Durant trade

There is still no Durant trade, and it doesn't sound like we're any closer to getting a resolution on it, either. However, the Suns are reportedly hopeful that a team will budge on their offer heading into the NBA Draft on June 25th, per Marc Stein. The Suns want a haul that is comparable to the one they gave up to get Durant in the first place. No such package has materialized, but Phoenix is hoping that either the Raptors (No. 9 pick), Timberwolves (No. 17 pick) or the Heat (No 20 pick) will offer those to Phoenix for the chance to acquire Durant.

The issue, though, is that so far no team has been willing to give up their top shelf assets to sign a soon-to-be 37 Durant. For each of those teams listed, they have incredibly young cores that don't match the timeline of Durant, so even if K.D. were to sign a contract extension with whatever teams trades for him, in reality those teams would only be getting 2-3 years of his services before he retires. 

The other issue is that of those teams Stein mentioned, Durant has only listed the Heat as a preferred destination, and has made it known that he does not want to play in Minnesota. It's unknown what his feelings are about the Raptors, but given they weren't on his shortlist, he could very well stall a trade there as well by saying he would not re-sign with them next summer.

[Jun 19, 2025 at 11:33 am ET · Aaron Gray]

Why KD trade saga is dragging on?

The league is waiting for Kevin Durant to get moved, but the top suitors aren't making aggressive offers for the future Hall of Famer just yet. With a week left until the 2025 NBA Draft, there is an apparent stalemate on the Durant trade front, and this is holding up other potential trades around the NBA.

Here's why Durant needs to be the first domino to fall to clear the way for other moves and who else is involved:

Why the Kevin Durant trade saga is dragging on, and how it's holding up other potential trades around the NBA

Robby Kalland

[Jun 18, 2025 at 4:23 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

Anthony Edwards is not recruiting Kevin Durant

The Suns are reportedly hopeful that Kevin Durant will change his mind and reconsider the Timberwolves as a possible destination. However, they aren't getting help on that front from Minnesota's best player. According to both Brian Windhorst and Marc Spears of ESPN (h/t RealGM), Anthony Edwards is not actively recruiting Durant to join him with the Timberwolves.

This is a bit surprising on the surface. Edwards idolized Durant growing up. They played together for Team USA last summer in the Olympics. But perhaps that is what is holding Edwards off of an all-out recruiting push. They have seemingly have a real relationship, and Edwards may simply be letting Durant play out this process on his own. If that eventually leads him to Minnesota, great. If not? Well, the Timberwolves have made consecutive trips to the Western Conference finals, so there may not be much urgency on his part to force a move like this.

[Jun 18, 2025 at 3:13 pm ET · Sam Quinn]

The Grizzlies aren't chasing KD

So much for one surprise suitor. According to Grizzlies beat writer Damichael Cole, the Memphis Grizzlies will not make a run at Kevin Durant. They chased him at the trade deadline, and they have a mountain of picks to work with considering their weekend trade of Desmond Bane, but for the time being, they have seemingly elected not to go after Durant this time around. The Grizzlies, obviously, are not one of the four teams initially on Durant's list: the Spurs, Heat and Rockets.

The off-list teams we know about right now are Minnesota, who reportedly won't make a strong offer unless Durant changes his mind, and Toronto, who is the wild card of wild cards here because they've already traded for a star that didn't want to play for them in Kawhi Leonard. There are likely others, and the Suns are probably hoping Durant keeps a more open minded as we get closer to the draft. For now, though, he seems fixated on Miami, San Antonio and Houston.

[Jun 18, 2025 at 1:22 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Durant shut down three-team trade to Minnesota

We already knew Durant didn't want to play in Minnesota, but in case there was any doubt he's softened up to the idea, that reportedly hasn't changed. The Timberwolves pitched a potential three-team trade to land Durant, which would've involved the Brooklyn Nets, per Matt Moore. It's unclear which players would've been involved, but Moore speculated that Nic Claxton could've been moved in that deal, with him landing in Phoenix. But after Durant put word out that he didn't want to play in Minnesota, it nixed that idea.

There's still a chance that could change. But as of right now, from all the reporting out there it's pretty clear Durant has no desire to play for the Timberwolves. And from Minnesota's perspective, there would be no reason to trade for a guy who is on an expiring contract and could just leave elsewhere next summer if he doesn't want to play for you. Really it just puts the Suns in a difficult spot, because the Spurs haven't been aggressive in what they're offering, and with Durant making it known that he doesn't want to play for the Wolves, then Minnesota likely won't trade for him.

The Rockets have been a preferred destination for Durant, but the Suns don't want Jalen Green -- who Houston is more likely to include in a trade for K.D. -- so imagining the former league MVP in Houston doesn't seem possible right now. As much as Phoenix wants to get a deal done for Durant before the NBA Draft on June 25, it appears increasingly unlikely that will happen given the current market.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 5:34 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Kevin Durant trade odds

Who will be KD's next team? The oddsmakers, at least on Tuesday, think Durant could very well head to either Miami or Houston. Per DraftKings, the Heat and Rockets both were the favorites to complete a KD trade at +250. The Spurs and Wolves were next on the list at +350 and the Raptors had +500 odds to swoop in and make a darkhorse deal.

• Heat: +250 
• Rockets: +250 
• Spurs: +350 
• Wolves: +350 
• Raptors: +500

[Jun 17, 2025 at 5:03 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Suns could consider keeping Durant

Here's a wild twist to this whole saga. There's a scenario in which Phoenix could just keep Durant, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"I would not rule out the Suns not getting a trade they like, and having to make a decision like, do we not trade him at all," Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland.

That would obviously a worst-case scenario for Phoenix, and would hinge on the Suns not getting a trade package they want in return. But it would be rather surprising if Phoenix couldn't find a deal it likes from the list of preferred destinations that have been floated out there. If that were to happen, the Suns could obviously look to trade Durant at the deadline next season in February, which they tried to do this season but were unable to. Perhaps by then there would be better offers on the table from other teams. But you also run the risk of teams not wanting to take Durant at that point either, because he'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer, allowing teams to just sign him without having to give up a massive haul to get him.

It's a tricky situation for the Suns, because while they should get the best possible package available, it doesn't sound like any team is jumping at the chance to sign Durant. It makes sense, he's on the backed of his prime, and isn't a guarantee to sign a new deal with whichever team trades for him. Phoenix has to realize it isn't going to get the return the Grizzlies just got for Desmond Bane (two role players, four first-round picks and a pick swap), and that may be a difficult pill to swallow considering what the Suns gave up to get him in the first place.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 4:54 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Spurs have not been aggressive in trade talks

The Spurs may be Durant's preferred destination, but as we know, that doesn't mean that's where he's going to land. Just ask Jimmy Butler, who wanted to land with the Suns, but was ultimately dealt to the Warriors. ESPN's Shams Charania is reporting that the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves are the three teams who the Suns have zeroed in on as trade partners, for now.

"From all the conversations I'm having right now, all the information I have, is that Miami, Houston and Minnesota is where the focus of the Suns conversations are for Kevin Durant," Charania said on the Pat McAfee show. "From my understanding, the Spurs have not been the aggressive team for Kevin Durant."

Obviously this could change, the Spurs could just be waiting out to see if the Suns lower their asking price for Durant, or if other teams back out of trade conversations. Or it could also just be a situation where San Antonio just doesn't feel the need to overpay for K.D., who will be 37 before next season starts. They have a ton of assets and can afford to be patient. The Suns are the team looking to move off Durant quickly, so they really hold little leverage in this situation.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 1:35 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Why Rockets, Spurs are being conservative

Kevin Durant trade: Why Spurs and Rockets have right idea in their conservative KD pursuits

Sam Quinn

[Jun 17, 2025 at 12:38 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Suns asking price too high for Spurs

There have already been reports that Durant's top choice is to land with the Spurs. He'd get to play alongside Victor Wembanyama, be close to Austin, Texas, where he went to school, and play for an up-and-coming organization that could be a K.D. piece away from seriously contending next season. The interest is mutual for San Antonio, however, the Spurs feel as though the asking price to land the future Hall of Famer is too high from Phoenix, per The Ringer's Kirk Goldsberry.

Phoenix initially asked for the No. 2 pick in the upcoming draft, and/or recently named Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle, per Goldsberry. That ask has "not gone over well" with the Spurs, but it could be a bit of gamesmanship from the Suns, seeing if they can squeeze out every asset from San Antonio before settling for a more reasonable return. Phoenix has been trying to get a return similar to what it gave up for Durant, but the Suns have to realize it's now two years later, and Durant will turn 37 before the season starts. There's not going to be a team willing to offer five first-round picks and two quality role players for Durant now, which is what the Suns gave up to get him.

San Antonio has by far the best combination of draft assets and players to offer the Suns in a return, compared to the other teams on the short list of Durant's preferred destinations, but that doesn't mean the Spurs are going to overpay to acquire him. The Spurs could very well decide to walk away from the Durant sweepstakes, and perhaps wait for whenever Giannis Antetokounmpo decides he wants to leave Milwaukee, or for whenever the next superstar is looking to move elsewhere. San Antonio doesn't have to speed up its own timeline for the sake of landing Durant. Wembanyama is only 21, there's still plenty of time before they need to take a big swing to surround him with star talent. Getting Durant would certainly be a bonus for the Spurs in the short-term, but they don't need to mortgage their future to land him.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 12:01 pm ET · Jasmyn Wimbish]

Durant wanted to land with the Celtics in January

We're still waiting for a Durant trade to land, but until then there's been no shortage of trade fodder to tide us over. The latest round of rumors centers on an eyebrow-raising reveal from Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor, who reported that Durant wanted to land with the Boston Celtics ahead of the trade deadline in February.

That's a shocking revelation, but it's not too difficult to see the appeal from Durant's side. He would've easily slotted into a roster that just won a title, and depending on what the Celtics would've sent to the Suns, would've formed a dangerous duo with Jayson Tatum. But given Boston's financial limitations, O'Connor said that's "highly unlikely" to happen now. Boston is expected to shed salary this summer, so taking on Durant would be counterintuitive.

Still, though, that doesn't make it impossible. Tatum's torn Achilles certainly dampens things, but had he been healthy for next season, it wouldn't have been surprising to see the Celtics get in on the Durant sweepstakes. Now, though, committing significant money to a 36-year-old Durant, who has his own lengthy injury history to think about, doesn't make a ton of sense for the Celtics.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 12:54 am ET · Sam Quinn]

Latest on Durant: Monday, 6/16 edition:

Just to lump all of Monday's developments into one place...

• Durant reportedly does not want to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Suns are hopeful that he will warm up to the idea.
• Durant was reportedly interested in playing for the Knicks... until it became clear that the Knicks were not planning to pursue him.
• Durant reportedly wants to play for the Spurs above all else, but the Rockets and Heat are on his list of acceptable destinations.
• The Toronto Raptors are among the teams reportedly willing to trade for Durant without getting him to extend his contract. Notably, the Raptors made a similar trade in 2018 for Kawhi Leonard.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 12:34 am ET · Sam Quinn]

San Antonio is Durant's preferred destination

All along, we've heard that three teams were at the top of Kevin Durant's list: the San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Miami Heat. All three made varying degrees of sense. There was not, at least initially, any separation within that group. They were listed together.

But now, according to The Athletic, one team appears to stand out even within that group: the Spurs. It makes plenty of sense on paper. Victor Wembanyama is probably the best player Durant could feasibly play with next season, and at the very least, he certainly has the most upside over the three-year period his likely contract extension will cover. Joining Wembanyama gives him a chance to win a third (and fourth... and fifth...) championship ring. San Antonio is only around 80 miles away from Austin, where Durant went to the University of Texas.

For now, though, the Spurs appear to be operating cautiously. This is still one of the NBA's youngest teams, and they won't go all-in for a player who will be 37 when next season begins. They have the inside track if they want it, but for now, Durant's preference doesn't seem to be a priority for Phoenix.

[Jun 17, 2025 at 12:18 am ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Knicks had no KD interest

Kevin Durant reportedly was interested in joining the Knicks. A potential deal for Karl-Anthony Towns makes some sense and KD apparently likes the idea of returning to the Big Apple to join a contender. But the Knicks are not interested in adding the veteran, according to multiple reports. More on that below:

Kevin Durant trade rumors: Suns star was interested in Knicks, but New York didn't want him, per report

Sam Quinn