The Denver Nuggets were bounced from the postseason on Sunday, suffering a 125-93 blowout loss in Game 7 of their second-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their focus will now shift to the offseason as the front office looks to retool the roster around Nikola Jokic.
One NBA reporter believes that the Nuggets should attempt to make a franchise-altering trade with the Phoenix Suns to land Kevin Durant.
“If I’m the Nuggets I’m swinging for Durant this summer,” CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn tweeted Sunday. “They have no chance if Houston or San Antonio decides to go for him. But if KD has any interest in going there, I’m not (expletive) around with timelines and sustainability anymore. You have the best player. Just go for it.”
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It is difficult to see Denver putting together a package that would be strong enough to acquire Durant — if he is indeed moved during the offseason. The Nuggets don’t have the type of young talent that Phoenix would likely be looking for in return for moving the former MVP.
Furthermore, the Nuggets have just one tradeable future first-round pick. Landing Durant would likely require him to publicly claim that he only wants to play for Denver, however, even that may not be enough to scare other suitors off.
It is possible that a team would still trade for the star forward despite him entering the final year of his contract — similar to the Toronto Raptors acquiring Kawhi Leonard despite his publicly stated desire to play in Los Angeles. Durant is owed $54.7 million in 2025-26.
He continued to play at an elite level despite being 36 years old. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from three-point range and 83.9% from the free-throw line.
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