Three-Team NBA Trade Proposal Sends Suns’ Kevin Durant To Rockets

The Phoenix Suns are expected to trade Kevin Durant this offseason. Durant, 36, has one year left on his contract. He’ll make $54,708,609 next season. 

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, the Suns are trying to trade Durant to the Houston Rockets. Phoenix wants to regain full control of its draft capital, starting with the No. 10 pick in this year’s NBA Draft. 

With Iko’s reporting in mind, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports proposed the following trade idea between the Suns, Rockets and Brooklyn Nets:

Suns get: Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Jock Landale, No. 10 overall pick

Rockets get: Kevin Durant

Nets get: Aaron Holiday, 2026 second-round pick (via Thunder, Mavericks or 76ers)

The Suns missed the playoffs this year despite having Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Mike Budenholzer was fired as head coach after one season. 

Meanwhile, the Rockets made the postseason this year for the first time since 2020. They lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round in seven games. 

Durant turns 37 in September. The future Hall of Famer averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line.

Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He’s a two-time Finals MVP.

The Suns acquired Durant from the Nets in 2023. Phoenix lost to the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2023 playoffs and was swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.  

Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract, so he can’t control his future. 

“The Rockets still have a bit of work to do here in the aftermath of this deal,” Quinn wrote. “By aggregating salaries for Durant, they’d hard-cap themselves at the second apron. That could get tight if they plan to re-sign Steven Adams. There’s an easy solution here: just decline Fred VanVleet‘s team option and re-sign him at a lower cap number, but for more years.

“That’s likely where this goes anyway, but a trade like this basically necessitates it. Still, the Rockets with Durant, VanVleet and their best young players could easily compete for the 2026 championship. With their best pick assets in reserve, they’d have room to take another swing down the line when Durant is gone.”