The NBA Playoffs are starting to heat up, and that means something is about to arrive as well; the NBA offseason. Many players will enter free agency, sign max deals, and some will request trades from their current teams.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley believes Oklahoma City Thunder Alum Kevin Durant will be one of those players who asked for a request, as he has found no success on his current team, the Phoenix Suns. It was also revealed that Durant was almost traded at the deadline, but no deal was good enough.
“Durant’s name has swirled through the rumor mill for a while now, much to his initial surprise,” Buckley wrote. “When Phoenix cut ties with former coach Mike Budenolzer upon completion of its colossally disappointing (and wildly expensive) campaign, ESPN’s Shams Charania relayed that the club “is expected to engage in trade discussions involving Durant.””
Buckley continued, stating that Durant definitely needs to leave since the state of the Suns franchise is so catastrophic.
“This roster is broken, and given their draft debts, cap constraints and collective age, there isn’t an obvious fix beyond tearing it down and starting over. Durant, who turns 37 in September, should be scrambling toward a better situation as fast as he can,” Buckley stated.
Durant will definitely leave, as he has had a track record of leaving situations he didn’t like. After almost a decade with the Thunder, he left after losing one NBA Finals and barely missing another. He then signed with the Golden State Warriors, immediately won two titles, and left after he lost the third. Then he signed with the Brooklyn Nets, who he left after a few years by requesting a trade to the Suns.
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The teams interested in him at the deadline that the Suns liked were the Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the New York Knicks, the Houston Rockets, the Miami Heat, and the San Antonio Spurs. Durant made it clear he didn’t want to go back to Golden State, but all those other teams may call up Phoenix this offseason to make another offer.
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