Best and Worst Kevin Durant Landing Spots If Suns Trade KD During 2025 NBA Offseason
Despite having two star guards in Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, as well as the second-most expensive roster in the NBA and sure-fire future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, the Phoenix Suns are on track to miss the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament. Not the playoffs.
Phoenix isn't even in the Western Conference's top 10 right now. And now, just a few weeks past a trade deadline when it looked like KD might be on the move, rumors about his future have surfaced again.
"They're going to trade him, and he knows that," ESPN's Brian Windhorst told NBA Today on Wednesday. "I think everybody's intentions are crystal clear here."
And that begs the question: If everyone knows Durant will be on the move, where will that move land him?
Below, we'll examine some of those potential landing spots and break down why each would be good or bad for the legendary forward.
Worst Spot: Golden State Warriors
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Just before the trade deadline, we learned that the Golden State Warriors tried to bring Durant back to the Bay Area, where he won two championships (and two Finals MVPs).
According to Windhorst, a deal was lined up that would have landed Jimmy Butler with the Phoenix Suns and KD back with the Warriors, but the Suns forward made it clear he didn't want to go back.
Golden State then pivoted to the Butler trade that eventually materialized.
Weeks later, Durant offered his own explanation of what happened, and he left the door open for a potential reunion:
But you have to consider the audience here: Durant's on Draymond Green's podcast. There might be a blunter explanation for why he didn't want to go back, but he wasn't going to offer it there.
And all the tension that led to his initial exit from the organization could boil back to the surface if he went back. Green is still there. He's as competitive as ever. And with everyone six years older than they were last time Draymond, KD and Stephen Curry played together, it wouldn't lead to the same dominance it did back then.
That chapter of Durant's career contained some of the most spectacular basketball in league history, but it's closed. And at this point, there's little reason to reopen it.
Best Spot: Houston Rockets
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From the moment the Houston Rockets signed Fred VanVleet to a massive contract that included a $44.9 million team option in 2025-26, it felt like he might eventually become a trade chip.
And if the Suns are interested in KD deals that tip off a rebuild (they absolutely should be), VanVleet, an intriguing young prospect or two and some picks from Houston would be intriguing.
VanVleet's salary makes it easy to make the numbers work under the new collective bargaining agreement, and the Rockets have plenty of sweeteners to send with him.
And for Durant, surrounding him with a gritty, physical, defense-first supporting cast like the one in place in Houston might be exactly what he needs.
Covered by the Rockets scheme, KD could focus on what he does best: putting the ball in the basket. And playing alongside a high-end point center such as Alperen Şengün would give him plenty of clear looks to do just that.
Worst Spot: Dallas Mavericks
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The chance to team up with Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets was one of the reasons Durant left the Warriors in 2019, so don't be surprised if Kyrie's name comes up in response to the KD rumors.
After the perpetually confusing Luka Dončić trade, the Dallas Mavericks have plenty of size and defense on the roster, but there isn't a ton of shot creation (or shot-making) beyond Irving.
Durant would obviously help on that front. And just in terms of positional fit, a guard (Irving), a wing (KD) and a big (Anthony Davis) is a little easier to make work than the three-wing trio Durant is currently in with the Suns.
But Durant shouldn't be dying to walk into the mess that is the Mavericks organization right now. There is no logical explanation for the Luka trade, but that hasn't stopped the front office and ownership from trying to manufacture one.
Players should be wary of joining, if the team is capable of so prolifically leaking stories and takes in an effort to make Dončić look worse (and by extension, make the trade look better).
KD, Irving and Davis would also be a little long in the tooth for a big three. Each is over 30. Durant's 36. And all three have plenty of injuries in their history.
This potential trio feels every bit as combustible as the one Durant and Irving shared with James Harden in Brooklyn.
Best Spot: Miami Heat
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This might not necessarily be the best idea for the Miami Heat. In the wake of the Butler deal, they should at least be thinking about getting younger, compiling some draft picks and moving forward with a supporting cast that maximizes Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
However, if Durant is really going to leave the Suns, and if he has any say in where he ends up (not a given, since he's under contract through next season), he has to have some Eastern Conference teams on his radar.
Being in the West is part of why KD and his team are in the position they're in. They're in 11th place in their conference, but they have more wins than the ninth-place team in the East.
The latter has, pretty clearly, been the league's inferior conference for well over two decades. And if Durant wants a third championship, he would likely have better odds of getting it in the East.
On top of that, the Miami trade package is a little easier to envision than that of some of the other teams included so far. The salary-matching aspect of a deal is taken care of by Andrew Wiggins' and Terry Rozier's contracts.
Worst Spot: Los Angeles Clippers
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The Los Angeles Clippers seemingly come up every time a big name is reportedly available, but they would have many of the same problems brought up on the Mavericks slide.
Kawhi Leonard, like AD, is post-prime and injury prone. Harden, like Irving, is post-prime, and we already saw a partnership between he and Durant end in a team teardown.
Landing Durant would also cost the Clippers much of the depth that has helped them stay competitive after losing Paul George in free agency.
Leaning into another top-heavy roster makes far less sense than simply waiting out the contracts of Leonard (expires in 2027) and Harden (he has a player option for next season) and starting fresh.
Best Spot: Oklahoma City Thunder
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Today's NBA, with all its player movement and ring chasing, has made journeymen of some truly great players.
Just look at Durant. One of the absolute best scorers in league history has already played for four different teams. If he moves this summer, it'll be to his third team in just the last half-decade.
So, why not at least give the upcoming move (assuming it happens) the chance to be a full-circle moment for Durant?
A return to OKC, after eight years away, is easy to sell from a nostalgic standpoint. It gives his career a bit more continuity. And more importantly than any of that, he makes basketball sense there.
Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would instantly become, almost certainly, the most dangerous one-two scoring punch in the NBA. The Thunder can cobble enough outgoing salary with little more than Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort (or Alex Caruso). The organization has tons of draft capital to spend.
And whatever's left of the roster after a KD trade would be well-equipped to cover for the aging forward on defense.
Worst Spot: Anyone Who Can't Contend for a Title the Moment KD Shows Up
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As mentioned, Durant is 36. He has a torn Achilles in his past. He's still averaging 26.9 points, 4.3 assists and 2.4 threes, but he doesn't move quite like he did before he started bouncing around the league.
There isn't a ton of time left for him to be a major impact player for a title contender.
So, it makes little to no sense to imagine him on any team that isn't in that conversation the moment he shows up.
Durant's next shot at a championship will likely be his last.
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