Feelings are great, but in the NBA, they rarely seal the deal. Don’t worry, this isn’t a TED Talk. It’s just the league doing what it does best: flipping loyalties and humbling egos. Trades are the heartbeat of the drama, and let’s be honest, no one’s truly untouchable. Sometimes the suits make the call. Other times, stars take control. Just ask Kevin Durant. He has some landing spots, but the question is, do they want him, too?

Earlier on Wednesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported, “the Phoenix Suns and [Kevin] Durant’s business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, have met multiple times over the past week and are sifting through trade scenarios.” There are reportedly five teams: the Spurs, Wolves, Rockets, Heat, and Knicks, who are willing to go all-out for the Slim Reaper. But in an odd turn of events, one of the contenders has withdrawn its name from the trade battle.

Sam Amico of HoopsWire reported that the New York Knicks have no interest in trading for Suns’ Kevin Durant. KD holds a $54.7 million contract for 2025–26, which gives him serious power at the table. Now, he wants a long-term deal. If traded, he can sign a two-year extension on July 6 for $112 million. Wait six months, and it jumps to $124 million. The 2026 free agency market? Explosive. Half the league will have cap space.

Back in February, Durant almost returned to Golden State. But he shut that down fast. He wanted to finish with the Suns. Reports said the Suns blindsided Durant by even considering trading him. This time, things are different. He and the Suns plan to talk it out and choose his next move together.

But now that the Knicks are seemingly out of the picture, the other teams could strongly pursue the veteran forward. Moreover, as long as Gregg Popovich is around, there is a fine chance that the Spurs could become Durant’s next landing spot.

Spurs legend could be the reason why Kevin Durant could find his next home in San Antonio

The Athletic’s Sam Amick informed, “Even though Pop has now obviously moved up into the front office role, that is something that, in terms of Kevin’s mentality and what I know about him as a person and a player, I could see fitting. He sees himself as one of the most elite basketball minds in the history of the game, with good reason.” 

In fact, Bill Simmons believes that Durant and the Spurs have already shaken hands. They’re waiting for the perfect time to announce it. “I wouldn’t be surprised if KD to the Spurs is done already and they just haven’t announced it,” Simmons said on his latest podcast episode with Ryen Russillo.

He added: “Like basically they’ve agreed on specifics and they’ll just announce it the week of the draft. … No inside info, this goes back to the Giannis thing. I think they [San Antonio] are just going to trade for KD, and it’ll cost a lot less. They’ll be able to be really competitive and maybe even go a couple rounds in the playoffs, but they’re also going to keep the No. 2 pick and do it that way.”

Even though Gregg Popovich has shifted into a front office role, the Spurs still feel like a natural fit for someone like Kevin Durant. His mindset matches the system—he sees himself as one of the greatest basketball minds ever, and honestly, he’s not wrong. That structure could attract him. Still, don’t sleep on the Knicks, even if they’re out of the picture. With their rising core and market magnetism, they’re very much in play if KD’s writing his final chapter.