Odds Show A Clear Favorite To Land Kevin Durant In Offseason
There was plenty of optimism and excitement surrounding the Phoenix Suns when they traded for superstar and future Hall of Fame forward Kevin Durant two years ago.
But so far, they have nothing to show for it — they lost in the second round of the 2023 playoffs and they got swept in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, and right now, they hold a dismal 26-27 record and are in 11th place in the Western Conference.
There were rumors that Durant would get traded prior to this year’s trade deadline, perhaps for Jimmy Butler, another veteran star forward, but instead, he remained put, and the Suns made no real moves.
Now, there are rumors that Durant could get traded this summer, and per NBACentral, the Houston Rockets are the betting favorites to land him if he changes teams.
Durant, despite being 36 years of age, is still playing at the level he has always played at — he’s averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from 3-point range this season.
However, there has been tons of pressure on Phoenix to win the NBA championship because they gave away four future first-round draft picks to get him, as well as four first-round pick swaps to get guard Bradley Beal in the summer of 2023.
Another team trading for Durant this summer would likely be a risky move, given his age, mileage and injury history, as well as the high price the Suns are likely to ask for.
