Windhorst: Suns Have Some Level of Concern About Kevin Durant's Contract Decision

Kevin Durant's long-term future with the Phoenix Suns is relatively unknown considering he is signed through just the 2025-26 campaign, and that is reportedly one reason why he was included in trade rumors leading up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.

"At least part of the reason why the Suns looked into moving him, no matter what they want to say, was some level of concern about what Durant would do this summer," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on the Hoop Collective podcast (19:25 mark). "… I'm out of the business of trying to project what Kevin is thinking. I will not do that. But certainly that contract was a factor in the way this week played out."

While Durant's name was floated in speculation with the Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat, NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported Wednesday there was "a distinct sense percolating now that Durant does not want to be traded at all."

Golden State and Miami also came off the table as realistic suitors when they completed their own multi-team trade on Wednesday that sent Jimmy Butler to the Warriors and Andrew Wiggins to the Heat, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Butler being moved to the Warriors also put the Suns back in the spotlight, as they were consistently linked to the six-time All-Star leading up to the trade deadline.

Yet trading for him likely would have required moving Bradley Beal's contract that is set to pay him $53.7 million in base salary next season before a $57.1 million player option in 2026-27, but he has a no-trade clause.

Fischer reported Monday that Beal wants to remain in Phoenix, which limited the team's options.

Now the Suns sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with questions about how competitive they can be in the short-term and uncertainty about whether Durant will even be with the team beyond next season.

While trading the future Hall of Famer would have ended any realistic chances they had of making a deep playoff run this season, it also would have at least allowed them to recoup draft capital and young players in return to potentially accelerate a rebuild or reset.

But it doesn't look like that is going to happen ahead of the deadline.