Empire of the Suns podcast co-hosts Kellan Olson and Kevin Zimmerman have entered a Microsoft Teams chat again to continue the discussion about the main storyline for the Phoenix Suns heading into the 2025 NBA Draft: Kevin Durant’s new home.
A week ago, it was about looking at potential offers. Now, there’s little news and tidbits of information about Durant’s preferred landing spots, how underwhelming the trades on the table are and whether or not teams have any reason to improve offers.
What’s taking so long with the Kevin Durant trade talks between the Suns, Rockets, Spurs, Heat, T-Wolves and others?
Kevin Zimmerman: Kellan, it appears we have hit a wall in terms of the trade offers for Durant — at least what’s known publicly. Instead of leaks about strong offers that could drum up better offers, we’re getting leaks of the Suns asking for way too much.
For example, the San Antonio Spurs took requests for one of reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle or the No. 2 pick. The reception of that ask was “not going very well,” as The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry put it. Ya think?
RELATED STORIES
Report: Suns 'hopeful' Kevin Durant reconsiders Minnesota Timberwolves as possible landing spot
Report: Kevin Durant has 3 'preferred trade destinations' as rumors continue to run rampant
Report: Kevin Durant has 3 'preferred trade destinations' as rumors continue to run rampant
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst even went as far as to wonder if the Suns might find themselves stuck with Durant again — though stuck is a strong word for a dude averaging 27 points per game on efficiency. And stuck can’t be said of Durant without mentioning this is happening because Bradley Beal’s contract is the most untradeable thing in the NBA.
We both agree the Suns, who put themselves in this tricky position needing to trade Durant and/or Beal, are going to get a “bleh” offer for the former.
So let me ask this: Are you worried that the Suns, through very public and failed trading of Durant at the deadline and a very public and going-nowhere attempt now, are 1) struggling to build a market and 2) potentially going to get first-year general manager Brian Gregory an even worse deal than you initially thought?
Or am I overreacting to this (braces for a trade to happen today to make me look stupid)? We still have a week until the draft for better offers to come across the Suns’ desks.
Kellan Olson: I think it’s some combination of an overreaction to the events happening in real time with the amount of information, a.k.a. the potential deals, that we have been privy to and perhaps a realization kicking in (for some) that the Suns are not going to get a great offer.
The key here is defining what “great” is for you. Something from Minnesota built around Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo and other stuff is good enough (for some). Ditto for the Toronto report of Immanuel Quickley or R.J. Barrett, plus Jakob Poeltl and the No. 9 pick.
A lot of this is weighed down by your opinion on those individual pieces.
The potential T-Wolves deal from a straight value perspective passes the test, but Gobert (aging 7-footer on a long deal) and DiVincenzo (another 6-foot-5 guard/wing) should not be nearly as valuable to the Suns as they would be to a contender. Barrett or Quickley would be the contract Toronto is looking to get off, and again, your opinion between could vary. Are they a long-term piece or are they an immovable salary down the road? That shifts a lot of this.
Neither of those teams are on Durant’s list of preferred landing spots, so is Minnesota even offering Gobert? Both of Rob Dillingham and No. 17? Is the ninth pick really out there for Toronto?
That’s what Houston and San Antonio have apparently been using to their advantage. The Rockets reportedly being mixed on Jabari Smith Jr.’s inclusion is wild considering he would be their fourth wing if Durant’s coming to H-Town, but OK then.
While San Antonio being tentative is no surprise, not even getting the Devin Vassell-Harrison Barnes-Jeremy Sochan-No. 14 base offer would be brutal. It’s Kevin Durant.
Ultimately, the sloppy nature of February was always going to come back to bite the Suns, and that’s a lot of what this is. If you weren’t ready for the, “well-well-well if it isn’t the consequences of their actions” response, here it is now. And yet at the same time, these are organizations haggling over nickel-and-dime assets for a guy who put up All-NBA-worthy numbers last year. Someone will bite eventually.
Do you think a timeline matters here?
Kevin Zimmerman: To back up a second, you used the word “timeline.” I want to address that word for a different reason.
We know Durant would be willing to land long-term with Houston, San Antonio or Miami, which in these talks has limited a bidding war that would help the Suns.
A big missing piece of reporting is that we aren’t even sure if those teams are for sure willing to sign him immediately to a two-year extension once he’s traded there. We’ve heard inklings that the Rockets are still tepid on blowing up their young core for a 37-year-old, and the word “timeline” is being tossed around with regards to them and the Spurs, too. That’s a huge deal!
That’s why I pointed out it’s a week before the draft. I do think the Suns need to have something locked down by draft night, because it’s arguable that a realistic trade with Houston or Toronto, especially, means the best asset coming back is a top-10 pick.
The Suns need to be at least telling those teams who to draft for them if this trade doesn’t go official until the calendar flips to next season.
I would also like to talk down my negative self and any Suns fans who are coming along with me by pointing out that there are wild card teams and trades still out there.
There are avenues the Suns can get some solid pieces from elsewhere if others are brought into this mess.
All this said, do you have final thoughts in this very moment? Do I dare ask you to predict when this could finally happen or wonder if it could drag on until draft night?
Kellan Olson: The key continues to be a multi-team deal. A tepid Houston offer of Jalen Green, filler salary and the No. 10 pick isn’t the end of the world if Green can be rerouted for similar-ish value elsewhere. But there aren’t many fits for the contract Green has or the player that he is.
Gobert, at this point, is as close to being reported as a direct Suns target without being reported as a direct Suns target. Phoenix, however, would be best using that same approach and sending him elsewhere. Would the Los Angeles Lakers be interested? Brooklyn wouldn’t be, but the Nets could be the key to all of this as the one franchise with serious cap space.
I’ve been saying a deadline should be Monday night of draft week for a while now and am sticking to that, even though our own John Gambadoro’s reporting of this week suggests a desire to get it done sooner.
“Drag on” is heavy word usage by you, and I hope for the Suns’ sake that’s not how they feel this is going, because that would speak to a pressure they feel, when it should instead be Phoenix making the bidders feel pressure. We’ll see if our inclinations and vibes are correct for an owner who admittedly lacks patience or if the Suns can be successful in flipping that to get a competent deal done.
Follow @AZSports
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Should we worry about the Suns’ Kevin Durant trade pursuit a week out from the draft? )
Also on site :