How many more twists and turns will the Kevin Durant trade saga take?! Everyone expected him to leave before the February trade deadline.  A reunion with Stephen Curry in the Bay Area had the Dub Nation salivating, but it ultimately fell through. And for a while, it seemed like KD would stay put. But now, recent developments have seen the needle move once again, with a former ESPN employee suggesting a unique solution to the Kevin Durant trade conundrum.

See, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated revealed that “Phoenix is motivated to make a Durant deal prior to the June 25th NBA draft.” With just over a week left for the 2025 NBA Draft, this means that teams need to act fast to snap up Durant. After all, there are plenty of suitors for him. So, in light of this, Rachel Nichols proposed a solution for any team interested in coaxing KD to join them.

She started by explaining how KD is kind of underrated now before revealing her solution. “I think there are people who are fans or around the league who have just sort of forgotten just how good he is, how reliable that shot is, and how it’s going to live for a very long time. I would feel very comfortable signing Kevin Durant if I was a GM to a three-year contract, because his shot is still going to be excellent,” said the former ESPN employee.

Now, Kevin Durant is 36. So signing him to a three-year contract would mean he plays till he’s 39. But that shouldn’t really be an issue for KD. After all, unlike a lot of players, Durant’s game does not hinge on his athleticism. Given KD’s length, he can get his shot off on anyone. And his elite basketball IQ means he has been among the most efficient scorers in NBA history. You do remember his 50/40/90 season, right?

These abilities are why Kevin Durant is among the hottest commodities on the market right now. And like we alluded to earlier, there is no dearth of potential options for the 2x NBA champion for his next home. So let’s see what he gets to pick from.

Dissecting some of the Kevin Durant trade rumors

Let’s start with one of the names that has gained the most traction recently — the Miami Heat. Not long ago, Tyler Herro was trolled by Adin Ross’ fans about KD being traded to the Heat. Cruel prank aside, it only worked because there’s some semblance of credibility to that claim. See, Spotrac’s Keith Smith even suggested a possible trade package for the Heat to offer the Phoenix Suns for KD. It included Terry Rozier, Jaime Jaquez Jr, and Duncan Robinson. So, if nothing else, there’s at least a starting point to this trade.

In stark contrast, the trade rumors of Kevin Durant to the Knicks seem like a non-starter.  Chris Mannix said that Knicks insiders, had said the New York Knicks were not interested in KD. “The beat writer, like almost in group response, they said that the Knicks were not interested in Kevin Durant, so we’ll take that for what it’s worth,” he revealed.

Then we have the San Antonio Spurs, who were the frontrunners for Kevin Durant’s signature. However, recent reports have indicated that they would rather use their number 2 overall pick in the upcoming Draft to sign Rutgers sensation, Dylan Harper.

Ultimately, though, all these rumors guarantee nothing. The Spurs were the frontrunners before these conflicting reports emerged. And with the NBA being a business, the Phoenix Suns will simply trade KD to whoever has the best offer. So, whether he goes to the Knicks, Spurs, or Heat, we don’t know. But this is shaping up to be a hell of an offseason!