Kevin Durant's Suns Future Reportedly Could Be Determined By HC Hire amid NBA Rumors

Kevin Durant is keeping an eye on what the Phoenix Suns decide to do at head coach as he determines his next steps in the NBA.

On the latest episode of the Haynes Briefs show on YouTube (starts at 7:15 mark), NBA insider Chris Haynes explained that Durant could decide to remain with the Suns next season if they are able to hire someone who is well-respected around the league.

Haynes did note it is "very likely" that Durant will get traded this summer, but he's at least open to seeing what the organization does in its quest to find a fourth head coach in four seasons.

There has been an expectation since the trade deadline that Durant was playing his final season with the Suns before moving on this summer. He was reportedly unhappy the team tried to deal him in February.

On April 14, the same day Mike Budenholzer was fired, ESPN's Shams Charania reported the Suns are expected to engage in trade discussions involving Durant and will work with his camp to find a landing spot this offseason.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, the expectation is the Suns will conduct "an extensive, wide-ranging" search for a new head coach. Their list of potential candidates includes Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant, Houston Rockets assistant coaches Royal Ivey and Ben Sullivan and Miami Heat associate head coach Chris Quinn.

None of those candidates have any previous head-coaching experience. It's unclear if that will be a prerequisite for Durant. Budenholzer and Frank Vogel, the last two coaches in Phoenix, both had experience and only made it through one season with the organization.

Given Durant's age—he will turn 37 on Sept. 29—it's not unreasonable to assume he will be looking for a situation that is built to win right now. The Suns, regardless of who they hire as head coach, seem like they have a long way to go to reach that level.

Phoenix missed the playoffs this season with a 36-46 record. It's the first time Durant has been on a team that finished under .500 since his second NBA season in 2008-09, excluding the 2019-20 Brooklyn Nets when he didn't play due to an Achilles injury.