After reporting earlier than the tip of the common season that there was some mutual curiosity between the Spurs and Suns star Kevin Durant on the commerce deadline, ESPN’s Shams Charania reiterated that time final week throughout an look on The Pat McAfee Present (Twitter video hyperlink). Charania’s reporting has since been confirmed by a plugged-in Phoenix-area insider.
“The crew that I heard final evening in talking to anyone fairly near the state of affairs with KD is hold your eye on the Spurs,” John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports activities 98.7 mentioned throughout the Burns & Gambo present on Tuesday (YouTube hyperlink; hat tip to RealGM). “KD may have some curiosity within the Spurs. That is likely to be a great touchdown spot for him, with (De’Aaron) Fox and (Victor) Wembanyama and an up-and-coming crew on the rise that has a terrific defensive anchor.”
Gambadoro speculates {that a} Durant cope with San Antonio would possibly embody Harrison Barnes‘ $19MM expiring contract and a younger participant like Devin Vassell, who will make $27MM subsequent season. Whereas Vassell is primarily a capturing guard like Devin Booker, the Suns determine to prioritize buying the most effective younger expertise they’ll, slightly than an ideal positional match.
“You can (say), ‘Oh, you don’t desire a man who performs the identical place as Booker,’” Gambadoro continued. “However you might need to take again anyone that performs the identical place. That you must get youthful expertise. You can all the time commerce anyone down the highway, or transfer anyone to small ahead as a substitute of the two-guard spot, or you might have anyone be the purpose guard and never the 2 guard.”
As Gambadoro observes, the Suns will even possible be searching for draft property in a deal for Durant, together with maybe a 2025 decide. That’s one cause why he thinks a deal may come collectively sooner or later within the coming weeks, previous to free company.
“I count on – I’m not guaranteeing this, however I might count on – {that a} KD deal would occur proper earlier than the draft,” Gambadoro mentioned. “Since you’d wish to embody draft capital in any deal, so I believe {that a} Kevin Durant commerce would come up this month, someday earlier than the draft. Most likely near the draft, if it’s going to occur.”
Marc Stein lately reported that the league-wide perception {that a} Durant commerce will occur this offseason has solely elevated because the Suns development towards hiring a first-time head coach. On Tuesday, Kelly Iko of The Athletic indicated that the Suns and Rockets have continued to speak a few doable Durant commerce and shared some further particulars on these discussions.
