Kevin Durant’s next chapter may end up taking him to the Alamo City.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported on Friday that the San Antonio Spurs are emerging as a potential dark-horse team to trade for the Phoenix Suns star Durant this offseason. Siegel notes that the Spurs are poised to make more moves in the summer and that there have already been whispers from league personnel about a possible San Antonio pursuit of Durant (with Spurs guard Devin Vassell being a rumored trade candidate).
Now 36 years old and with one more guaranteed season left on his contract, Durant is almost certain to be traded by the No. 11 seed Suns over the offseason. The Spurs were already one of the six teams mentioned in connection with Durant earlier this month, but they figured to be a less likely option after already giving up key assets in their move for All-NBA guard De’Aaron Fox at the trade deadline.
Still though, it sounds like San Antonio plans to remain aggressive this summer as they look to build around Fox and young center Victor Wembanyama (who appears to be recovering well from a blood-clotting issue). In addition to Vassell (24), some of the Spurs’ other valuable trade assets are Keldon Johnson (25), Jeremy Sochan (21), and Stephon Castle (20). With the exception of 2027, San Antonio also still has all of their own first-round draft picks through 2031.
The former NBA MVP Durant is still at the top of his game this season despite the 35-38 Suns’ struggles. With averages of 26.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, Durant hasn’t lost much of his trade value, especially with his Bird rights coming along with him in any potential deal.
Interestingly enough, Durant has also been linked to another team within the same state. Lately, he has also been mentioned in connection with a recent NBA champion, but that one seems a lot less likely.
