The availability of Kevin Durant is the NBA’s worst-kept secret this summer.
After two full seasons in Phoenix, both of which had disappointing endings, the 36-year-old forward is heavily expected to be on the move in the offseason. With the Suns currently owning a bleak future between a failed experiment with the Booker-Beal-Durant trio, plus a lack of draft capital, a trade involving Durant is the first step they’re expected to take in resetting the franchise.
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Even with a trade likely though, there aren’t many clear-cut fits for Durant at this stage of his career. He is certainly still a bonafide superstar — the veteran is coming off his 16th-straight season with at least 25 points per game — but between the financial difficulties of acquiring stars in today’s NBA, plus the short list teams that would realistically use his talents to pursue a title, there’s a surprisingly short list of teams that are logical Durant destinations. Â
Fortunately, ESPN’s Shams Charania recently signaled the main group of five teams that are expected to pursue the future Hall-of-Famer in some fashion. As he likely joins his fifth NBA team soon, Durant, as consistent as ever following his 17th NBA campaign, would still provide any team with efficient scoring from all over the floor.
With a trade widely expected to materialize as the NBA offseason enters high gear, here are the seven best fits for Durant’s next squad.
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Ranking Kevin Durant’s best trade fits
7. Grizzlies
Memphis is one of the two teams on this list that Charania did not list in his June 11 report regarding Durant and his business partner “sifting through trade scenarios” with the Suns. But Charania did mention that “several wild-card suitors” have made calls to Phoenix — and perhaps the Grizzlies are one of those wild-cards.
While the Grizzlies aren’t usually the type of team to swing big-time trades for stars, something will have to give with their current core eventually. Since Ja Morant became Memphis’ franchise centerpiece in 2019-20, the team has made the playoffs in four of five seasons while failing to get past the second round.Â
Memphis could still have the core to compete for a championship, but needs one more star on the wing next to Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Perhaps a deal involving Desmond Bane, who would help the finances work and give Phoenix a talented scorer and 3-point shooter, could be in the cards for a Grizzlies-Durant trade.
While there has yet to be any official reports suggesting Memphis would attempt a KD trade, adding the veteran scorer could be the move necessary to push the Grizzlies into the “title-contender” status for 2025-26.Â
6. Thunder
Oklahoma City is the other team Charania did not mention in his ESPN report about Durant destinations. Currently playing in the NBA Finals, this possibility could hinge on whether or not the Thunder wind up defeating the Pacers — but if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company come up short, maybe they take a big swing for 2025-26.
Oklahoma City certainly has the pieces to navigate a Durant trade, owning enough young talent and draft capital to make the other 29 teams envious. The question is more-so whether or not general manager Sam Presti would express interest in Durant. For one, the Thunder have highly prioritized player development over outside acquisitions in their new era, and there’s also the elephant in the room of Durant leaving OKC on pretty bad terms in 2016.
But, if the past can be left in the past and both sides are open to a reunion, it’s hard not to get excited about Durant bringing things full-circle and finishing out his career with the Thunder alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. Oklahoma City could pair the two offensive superstars with Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and its collection of role players, depending who’s included in a hypothetical trade.
Around the 2024-25 trade deadline, reports indicated that the Warriors nearly pulled off a deal to land Durant in a reunion, but he wasn’t interested in going back to Golden State. The Warriors then pivoted to Jimmy Butler and signed him to an extension, essentially taking themselves out of the Durant sweepstakes. But could a different reunion be in the cards for Durant this summer?
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5. Knicks
The five remaining teams were listed in Charania’s report as having expressed interest in trading for Durant. But of those five, the Knicks make the least amount of sense.
New York, which recently fired head coach Tom Thibodeau, already has a core of players in-place that just made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. That includes two stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, who was acquired before the 2024-25 season. Is New York really capable of adding Durant, both financially and basketball-wise?
Brunson and Towns are already offense-first pieces, like Durant. And part of the Knicks’ 2025 playoff success undoubtedly came from team chemistry, with Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges having a long history together. Breaking that core up, not long after sending out big hauls to land Bridges and Towns, for another star would be unwise for the Knicks.
In a Durant trade, the Knicks would likely have to sent out O.G. Anunoby or Bridges, their two best wing defenders. While the team is included at No. 5 on the list because of the official reporting linking them to Durant, New York would be abandoning its defensive, team-focused identity that proved successful in 2025 if it traded for the Suns star.
4. Heat
It’s only natural that the Heat show interest in acquiring Durant. They’re in a unique spot right now, still with a talented-enough roster to compete in the Eastern Conference, but without a surefire superstar to lift them into the “elite” category after saying goodbye to Jimmy Butler. While Miami could attempt to make a run at Durant, he may not be the answer to their troubles.
The Heat are already one of the older teams in the league, not owning much young talent to build around outside of Ke’lel Ware and Nikola Jovic, neither of whom seem to quite be franchise centerpieces. Maybe Durant would help Miami make a run in the 2025-26 season, but beyond that, the future wouldn’t be too bright.
Another issue is that Durant likely isn’t the best player on a championship team anymore — and he’d be exactly that with the Heat. He’s certainly more of a go-to scorer than Tyler Herro, and while Bam Adebayo is in his prime, he’s more of a defense-first option. At this stage in Durant’s career, the challenge of being the clear leader of a Heat team with high expectations may be too much to ask.
That being said, the Heat could still use a star wing to replace Butler. Maybe Durant’s their guy. Timeline-wise, Miami isn’t a perfect fit for a 36-year-old that will want an extension, but if Pat Riley is solely focused on the 2025-26 season, adding Durant would improve the Heat’s outlook.Â
3. Spurs
Speaking of Durant not fitting the timeline, the Spurs are on the opposite end of the spectrum. While Miami may be too old of a squad for Durant to join at this point, San Antonio may be too young and not quite ready to add the future Hall of Famer.
Of course, a Victor Wembanyama-Kevin Durant pairing is the reason that the Spurs would make this trade and the reason they’ve reportedly shown interest. The length and versatility that duo would display would be unreal, and it’s scary to think about what Durant could teach Wembanayama before retiring. But San Antonio is still a young team that hasn’t yet proven it’s ready for title aspirations, let alone playoff aspirations.
The Spurs last made the playoffs in 2019. With a Fox-Castle-Wembanyama-Durant core, they’d be expected to compete for a title — and maybe they’d be ready to make that big leap. But this is also an organization that rarely makes trades for stars, outside of the Fox deal, and would have to deal with growing pains as a longtime superstar joins a young squad that’s still meshing.
With San Antonio owning this year’s No. 2 pick, it has plenty of fascinating trade possibilities this offseason. While acquiring Durant would make for an all-time duo with Wembanyama and result in outstanding basketball, it would push the Spurs’ championship timeline as soon as next season, something they may not be ready to do.
2. Timberwolves
Both of the top two teams on this list have reportedly expressed interest in Durant, made the playoffs in 2024-25, and have talented, well-coached rosters with young stars already in place. Those descriptions are all ideal for Durant as his career dwindles to an end — and the Timberwolves would be a great fit in almost every aspect.
Durant wouldn’t have to be the top scoring option with Anthony Edwards, a player he’s spoken highly of in the past, growing into stardom. A potential trade would likely have to include Julius Randle in some capacity, which could be a challenge, but Durant could also step into the forward’s 2024-25 role as Minnesota’s secondary scorer.
Trading for Durant would signal the Timberwolves’ aspirations to go all-in as Edwards reaches his prime. With other key defensive pieces like Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels already in place, Minnesota adding a second elite scorer could be exactly what it needs to make a Finals run next season.Â
The one thing Minnesota lacks in the Durant sweepstakes, as opposed to the top team on this list, is flexibility in navigating the trade. The Timberwolves already had the second-highest team payroll in 2024-25, per Basketball Reference. Acquiring and extending Durant will be expensive; while Randle and Naz Reid have player options and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is an unrestricted free agent, the financial barricades of a KD deal could prevent Minnesota from pulling it off.
1. Rockets
The Rockets check off basically every box in the Durant sweepstakes.
A young core with star-level players to lighten the veteran’s load? Houston’s got it between Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green and Amen Thompson. Experienced players that add playoff pedigree? Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks have that covered. A well-regarded mind running the show? Ime Udoka was a 2024-25 Coach of the Year Finalist. Room for Durant to contribute to winning basketball? Houston just earned the No. 2 seed in a loaded Western Conference and took the Warriors to seven games in the playoffs.
Thinking about how a potential deal would work, the pairing only makes more sense. The Rockets have young talent that can be trade chips (Reed Sheppard, Cam Whitmore, Jabari Smith Jr.), own the No. 10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft and a strong collection of future assets, and have the financial capability to add a superstar contract for 2025-26.
Durant joining the Rockets would be a seamless fit for both sides. Houston needs a proven superstar to help it make a deep playoff run and guide its younger stars. Durant needs a talented group around him that will allow him to pick his spots as a scorer as he approaches 40, but still contribute to high-level basketball.
Plus, maybe Durant has interest in heading back to Texas, where he spent his illustrious college career. The Rockets’ interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the few things that could prevent it from happening, but a Durant-to-Houston deal is ideal on paper.
