Kevin Durant is once again expected to be the subject of trade rumors this upcoming offseason, and one Western Conference contender that had interest in him in the past could enter the mix again.
The Suns entered Thursday in 11th place in the Western Conference with a record of 35-41. Even if they manage to make the play-in tournament in the West, their “Big Three” of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal has not returned anywhere near the kind of results they had hoped for.
That has led to another wave of speculation that Durant might be traded. On Thursday, SportsBetting.ag released odds on Durant’s future. In the event that the Suns do trade the 15-time All-Star, the Houston Rockets are favored to land him.
The Rockets are listed as 2/1 favorites, with the San Antonio Spurs close behind at 3/1. Here are the odds for teams that are listed at 12/1 or better:
Phoenix Suns 2/1
San Antonio Spurs 3/1
Philadelphia 76ers 4/1
New York Knicks 5/1
Miami Heat 7/1
Minnesota Timberwolves 10/1
Denver Nuggets 10/1
Memphis Grizzlies 12/1
The Rockets have committed to their young core of players and been rewarded for it. They are second in the West behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and have clinched a postseason spot. Head coach Ime Udoka has turned things around quickly in Houston after the team went 41-41 and missed the playoffs last year.
That raises the valid question of whether the Rockets would want to mess with what they have by adding a 37-year-old Durant to the mix. There was talk last summer that they were positioning themselves to be able to acquire Durant, so it is possible that is still the plan.
Durant has not said he wants out of Phoenix, but he reportedly has mutual interest with at least one notable team. The Suns will likely receive — and possibly place — plenty of calls about Durant once the season ends.
