Windhorst Wouldn't 'Rule Out' Suns Being Unable to Get Desired Durant Trade Package
On the surface, trading a generational star and future Hall of Famer like Kevin Durant would suggest getting a significant return package in the deal.
But that might not be the case for the Phoenix Suns this offseason.
"You're not going to get that great of a package because the team paying for it isn't sure what Durant's going to do necessarily," ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during a Tuesday appearance on ESPN Cleveland Radio. "And the teams that Durant wants to go to, Houston and San Antonio for example, they're leery of paying a huge amount for a 37-year-old. Their whole teams are in their early- to mid-20s.
"So you don't have alignment in everybody getting on the same page. What Durant wants, what the Suns need, what the teams want to pay with the contract. I would not rule out the Suns not being able to get a trade they like and having to make a decision like 'do we not trade him at all?'"
The Durant situation is certainly a unique one, as the 2025-26 campaign is set to be the final season on his deal. He is under no obligation to sign an extension with a team that trades for him, which means those destinations that he may not want to go to are surely hesitant to give up anything of significance if he could just leave in free agency the following offseason.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported Saturday that Durant prefers to be traded to the Miami Heat, Spurs or Rockets, although he reported Tuesday that the Minnesota Timberwolves are still looking at the situation as a possible landing spot.
Yet Charania previously reported the 15-time All-Star didn't want to go to Minnesota.
The latest update comes after The Athletic's Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski reported Monday that Houston "seriously underwhelmed" the Suns with its offer while the Spurs have "been conservative in their pursuit."
That tracks with what Windhorst said, as there are real hesitations for teams with promising young cores to give up a serious part of their future foundation for someone who will be 37 years old next season.
It is a difficult situation for Phoenix to navigate, and it may not be landing a franchise-altering return in whatever trade it makes this offseason as a result.
