Latest Kevin Durant Trade Rumors on Clippers, Insiders Skeptical on Suns' Asking Price
The Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly emerged as a team to watch on the Kevin Durant trade front.
According to ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst, the Clippers are a "team to monitor" in the KD sweepstakes since they "have the contracts to make another move to augment" their roster around Kawhi Leonard and potentially James Harden.
Durant has been the subject of trade rumors since the trade deadline in February, and it's beginning to look like a foregone conclusion that the Phoenix Suns will move him this offseason. In fact, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported there is an "increasingly strong belief" within the league that the Suns will trade KD by the NBA draft, which starts on June 25.
ESPN's Shams Charania previously reported that the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves have all shown interest in Durant, along with "several wild-card suitors."
The Clippers may be one of those wild cards after experiencing their third consecutive first-round playoff exit this season.
L.A. is set to return Leonard, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell as key players next season, while Harden has a player option in his contract, meaning he could decline it and become a free agent.
However, the addition of Durant would perhaps compel Harden to stick around, as a trio of Durant, Harden and Leonard would give the Clippers a combined 32 All-Star selections, four NBA championships, four NBA Finals MVP awards and seven scoring titles.
Even at the age of 36, Durant continues to perform at a high level. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.6 three-pointers made and 1.2 blocks per game this season while also shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 43.0 percent from beyond the arc.
While Durant is highly sought after, Bontemps and Windhorst reported that league sources are "skeptical the price for Durant in a trade would get to a place where Phoenix would be satisfied with it."
Durant's age will undoubtedly be a consideration for teams when deciding how much they should give up, as will his contractual status.
The 2025-26 season marks the final year of KD's deal, so teams may be hesitant to give up too much for a one-year rental if they are unable to sign Durant to an extension.
Still, it is tough to envision the Suns keeping Durant coming off a highly disappointing season that saw them go 36-46 and miss the playoffs.
The Suns would benefit from a roster reset and potential rebuild. Unless they decide to part ways with Devin Booker, Durant is the best asset they can offer in a trade.
