Start the Photoshopping of Kevin Durant in other uniforms.
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said Wednesday that Durant is a near-lock to be traded by the Suns this offseason.
“Kevin Durant, I’m like 98 percent sure he’s not going to be a Sun next year,” Windhorst said of the veteran. “How it works out? I’m about one percent sure. There’s going to be a number of teams interested, but some of it is going to depend on whether Durant is a player they keep on a one-year contract or they want to give him a contract extension, which I suspect he’s going to want.”
Durant has often been mentioned in trade rumors coming off a disastrous Suns season, which could lead to the team blowing up the roster in the hope of a better future.
The Suns reportedly want to keep Devin Booker, while Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause that complicates matters.
The 36-year-old Durant is still one of the NBA’s top scorers and has one year left on his deal, making him an acquirable asset for teams looking to get over the hump.
He would surely cost an acquiring team less than what it would take to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, although a possible extension could scare off some teams.
Fellow NBA ESPN insider Shams Charania previously reported that the Suns, Durant and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, are “working together” on his “next trade home.”
The Rockets have been mentioned as a possible trade partner after falling in the first round as the No. 2 seed to the Warriors.
Durant is “very interested” in Houston, per The Athletic, but there are reservations about whether the franchise would alter its young core.
There has been speculation that some other teams that also fell short in the playoffs, like the Rockets, could eye Durant in an attempt to bolster their chances of winning a title.
The 76ers and even the Knicks have also been referenced as potential landing spots, while the Spurs are expected to be in the trade market due to their young core and ample assets.
A potential Durant trade could come during what Charania predicts “might be the craziest” offseason ever.
“This is the most, I think, anticipation team executives have had over an offseason,” Charania said Tuesday on the “Pat McAfee Show.”
Durant just completed this third season with the Suns and averaged 26.6 points while shooting 52.7 percent during a 36-46 season that resulted in coach Mike Budenholzer being fired after one year.
