Spurs Reportedly 'Not Going to Go All in' for Kevin Durant amid NBA Trade Rumors

Kevin Durant may have the San Antonio Spurs as one of the potential destinations on his list as he seeks a trade away from the Phoenix Suns, but it remains questionable if the Spurs are willing to make a major splash to acquire him.

The Athletic's Sam Amick appeared on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross on Wednesday and discussed that situation (15:15 mark):

"Does Durant change his stance on any of the teams not on his list? Now, I keep making this distinction. My understanding is you have the list—the thing his camp chooses to leak to the media—and then you have the real stuff, which is what Durant is telling people. And we've come across some of that, and there’s reason to believe he's looking at San Antonio above the rest. ... Because you and I lived it with the [De'Aaron] Fox trade, we just saw how the Spurs had zero intention or willingness to give up anything on their roster—let alone anybody in their young core. I don't know that that has changed all that much. The way it's put to me: They're not going to go all in to get Durant."

The Spurs, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets are Durant's "preferred trade destinations," according to ESPN's Shams Charania, who reported that "people across the NBA have been made aware in recent days that those are the three teams Durant would commit to with a long-term extension."

That doesn't mean the Suns are limited to negotiating with those three teams, of course, but any team that believes it would only be getting a one-year rental in Durant—he'll be a free agent after the 2025-26 season—may offer less in a trade.

Granted, it's fair to question whether the Spurs should be giving up young players or future draft assets for the 36-year-old Durant. While he would improve their immediate title chances, paired with Victor Wembanyama and Fox, the Spurs could also opt for a more patient approach.

The team already has a face of the franchise in Wemby, who is only 21, and has some intriguing young players around him in Stephon Castle and Jeremy Sochan, along with players in their mid-to-late 20s like Fox, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. The Spurs also have the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft and likely will select guard Dylan Harper if they don't trade the pick, giving them another potential young star to build around.

At some point, the Spurs will need to push their chips to the center of the table and ensure they have a title contender around Wembanyama. But do they really need to do that now, several years before the talented big man is even in his prime?

Plus, Durant's age and injury history make such a move risky even in the short term. When healthy he's awesome, yes, but he'll be 37 when the 2025-26 season begins and there's no guarantee that injuries won't become even more of a storyline as he ages.

Now, that risk is mitigated if the Spurs can land him without giving up their most prized assets. In that case, however, Phoenix will probably seek a deal elsewhere. Durant may have interest in pairing up with Wemby, but this feels like a pairing that is unlikely to happen.