3-Team NBA Trade Idea Gets Kevin Durant To a Rumored Preferred Landing Spot

Kevin Durant could be traded in a matter of days, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. And according to The Athletic's Sam Amick, Jon Krawczysnki and Kelly Iko, the Phoenix Suns' star forward "prefers to play for the San Antonio Spurs or the Houston Rockets."

Charania also confirmed The Athletic's report, and he added that Durant includes the Miami Heat on his list.

Back in May, however, the ESPN insider noted there was "mutual interest" between the Spurs and KD ahead of February's deadline. For San Antonio, adding the league's eighth all-time leading scorer to a core of Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox is so terrifyingly absurd it shouldn't be possible. And yet, it is.

The Spurs have the assets and runway beneath the luxury tax to strike a deal with the Suns. The trick is balancing KD's intrigue and impact with his timeline. He turns 37 in September and is entering the final year of his contract. This is not the player for whom you give up everything.

So can San Antonio figure out a way to land Durant and preserve the meat and potatoes of what it already has in place? And while cobbling together a reasonable return for the Suns? That's the dual-mission here, and we're roping in a third team to do it.

Full Trade Details

Olivia Ramirez/Getty Images

Charlotte Hornets Get:

• No. 2 pick 
• 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Oklahoma City or Philadelphia, via San Antonio)
• Minnesota’s 2028 second-round pick (via San Antonio)

Phoenix Suns Get:

• Harrison Barnes
• Keldon Johnson
• Jeremy Sochan
• Mark Williams
• No. 14 pick
• San Antonio’s 2026 first-round pick 
• 2027 first-round pick (second-most favorable of Charlotte, Dallas or Miami, via Charlotte)

San Antonio Spurs Get:

• Kevin Durant 
• No. 4 pick

Why the Charlotte Hornets Do It

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In: No. 2 pick, 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Oklahoma City or Philadelphia), Minnesota's 2028 second-round pick

Out: Mark Williams, No. 4 pick, 2027 first-round pick (second-most favorable of Charlotte, Dallas or Miami)

This is the toughest sell of our three-team shindig. The Charlotte Hornets need to be smitten with Rutgers' Dylan Harper to even consider it.

That's not too much of a stretch. They could use another creator alongside LaMelo Ball, and Harper's rim pressure adds an element Charlotte's perimeter ranks don't currently boast.

People will see this as an attempt by the Hornets to move LaMelo and recalibrate their direction around Harper and Brandon Miller. While it could be, it doesn't have to be. LaMelo and Harper can play together, and Charlotte is left with a tantalizing perimeter trio when factoring in Miller.

Giving up a first and Williams to climb two spots is steep. But there is a clear separation between Harper and anyone left on the board after him. The Hornets also have three first-rounders in 2027 and won't be sending out the best one. They can try pushing for least-favorable language here as an adjustment.

Moving Williams leaves Charlotte without a viable long-term option at the 5. At the same time, this arguably remains true even if he stays. The Hornets already tried jettisoning him once, and his extension eligibility poses a potential hangup when viewed against his lack of availability.

Why the Phoenix Suns Do It

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In: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Mark Williams, No. 14 pick, San Antonio’s 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick (second-most favorable of Charlotte, Dallas or Miami) 

Out: Kevin Durant

The Suns are apparently hoping to net a package in any Durant trade that rivals what they gave up to get him. As a reminder, they shipped out Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and one first-round swap as part of that deal (along with other stuff!). So, uh, good luck with that, Phoenix!

Durant turns 37 in September and is entering the final year of his contract. The Suns should get a haul for his services, particularly with Giannis Antetokounmpo doing a solid for KD's trade market. They're not ransoming anybody into oblivion.

Scooping up a lottery selection to go with a first-rounder in each of the next two drafts is a win unto itself. Phoenix doesn't control its own first-rounder again until 2032. It needs all the bites at the prospect apple it can get.

Sochan and Williams are both interesting frontcourt contributors who plug holes and can be evaluated against the Suns' future. They probably shouldn't spend too much time playing together, and they're both one year out from restricted free agency, but they are real contributors who extend the rotation.

Barnes and Johnson are required for salary-matching but plug holes at the 3 and 4 spots themselves. Neither is on the books beyond 2026-27, rendering them short-term commitments. Phoenix shaves over $6 million in money before taxes as part of their arrival. Their deals can be rerouted in subsequent trades to save even more scratch, but they fit the theme of a team looking to remain competitive around Devin Booker. Either way, this leaves the Suns well-positioned to evade the second apron if they waive the non-guaranteed contracts of Cody Martin and Vasilije Micić.

Phoenix can push for Devin Vassell instead of certain first-round equity and Johnson or Barnes. He can play beside Booker. But the redundancies on the roster would be through the roof unless the Suns have other moves lined up for Bradley Beal (no-trade clause) and/or Grayson Allen.

Why the San Antonio Spurs Do It

Chris Coduto/Getty Images

In: Kevin Durant, No. 4 pick

Out: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, No. 2 pick, No. 14 pick, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Oklahoma City or Philadelphia), Minnesota's 2028 second-round pick

There are more straightforward constructions for the Spurs if they don't view retaining Devin Vassell as a priority. They should. His availability and play can be inconsistent, but he's an ideal offensive complement to the trio of Durant, Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox. This deal consigns him to playing even more wing minutes, but that's perfectly fine with Fox and Stephon Castle in the fold.

This package is also far from everything. The Spurs are moving the No. 2 pick but still have a top-five selection, and the Dylan Harper fit alongside Fox and Castle is far from clean. If they prefer Harper to Castle, they can construct framework that ships out the latter.

San Antonio exits this deal maintaining control of enough first-round picks beyond 2026 to keep making moves. Offloading Sochan stings a bit. The Spurs (seem to) understand how to use him on offense now. But they need the spacing, scoring punch and general optionality Durant provides even more.

The soon-to-be 37-year-old arms the offense with another weapon who can generate shots from scratch, and he's shined as a rim protector while playing the 4 or the 5 these past couple of years. His arrival accelerates the Spurs' timeline but doesn't actually shorten it when they're forking over what amounts to two first-round picks, Sochan and two rotation players who likely don't factor into the bigger picture.

Juggling Durant's next deal—he can sign a two-year extension worth $122 million immediately after getting traded—does pose some concerns. But San Antonio won't get prohibitively expensive until 2027-28, when Wemby's next contract kicks in. The front office can iron out the potential financial wrinkles then.

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Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.