Report: Rockets have ‘firm offer' to trade for Kevin Durant, but Suns are underwhelmed
Report: Rockets have 'firm offer' to trade for Kevin Durant, but Suns are underwhelmed Trade negotiations appear to be in something of a standoff, with Houston having a 'firm offer' for Kevin Durant while Phoenix remains 'underwhelmed.'
The Rockets continue to have a 'firm offer' to trade for Suns star Kevin Durant, but Phoenix continues to be underwhelmed with Houston's current valuation of the All-Star forward, per Kelly Iko of The Athletic. There has yet to be a clear indication of what that offer specifically entails, though Rockets Wire explored the financial possibilities last week.
According to The Athletic's Iko, Sam Amick, and Jon Krawczynski, the Suns are also relatively uninspired by their options involving the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat — the other two teams on Durant's list of preferred destinations.
Reports have indicated that the Timberwolves could perhaps bid closer to the Suns' liking, with established players such as Rudy Gobert and Donte DiVincenzo a part of the package. But, to no surprise, The Athletic's report indicates that Minnesota 'does not want to make a seismic change to a roster that advanced to the Western Conference finals, if Durant is not on board with the move.'
With Durant having only one season left on his current contract, surrendering significant value in a trade for a player who is unwilling to extend and could leave for no compensation in 2026 free agency would be very risky.
So, in effect, it's a standoff. The Suns are waiting out Durant, in hopes that he eventually expands his list of desired teams. Durant and the Rockets (and perhaps the Spurs and Heat, as well) are waiting out the Suns, in hopes that Phoenix eventually accepts a lower offer.
Time will tell as to which side wins out, but the first round of the 2025 NBA draft is next Wednesday, June 25 — and the Suns would undoubtedly prefer to have a deal finalized by that time so that they can make a selection, themselves, for any draft asset they might obtain.
Furthermore, with Durant turning 37 years old in September, there wouldn't seem to be much value upside to waiting — unless Phoenix is potentially open to rejecting all trade offers (if deemed unsatisfactory) and bringing Durant back into its fold for the 2025-26 season. To this point, there have been no indications of that being a viable scenario.
So, for the time being, it seems both Durant and the Suns are waiting out the other. Teams such as the Rockets are awaiting the outcome.
More: Arizona Republic: Rockets 'ideal trade destination' for Kevin Durant
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Player grades: Jalen Williams, SGA lead Thunder to 120-109 Game 5 win over Pacers
Player grades: Jalen Williams, SGA lead Thunder to 120-109 Game 5 win over Pacers OKLAHOMA CITY — Taking in the final seconds, the OKC crowd entered Paycom Center a bundle of nerves and left it riding an all-time high to the streets. As the buzzer sounded, the title favorite officially took one step closer to accomplishing its ultimate goal. The Oklahoma City Thunder crossed the finish line to a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Indiana Pacers. They're now up for the first time in the 2025 NBA Finals with a 3-2 series lead and only need one more victory to capture a championship. Backed by a home crowd that understood what was at stake, the Thunder started quickly. It didn't take long for them to rack up points. The only problem was that the Pacers did too. After the first quarter, the Thunder held a 32-22 lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams showed early signs of their eventual headline performance. The double-digit lead was not bad, but could've been more. OKC's All-Star duo ensured that as Williams steamrolled his way to the basket. Sprinkle in some good outside shooting variance by role players, and the Thunder had a 59-45 halftime lead. Very similar feelings to Game 1 among Thunder fans. Sure, it was a decent cushion. But the Pacers have shown all playoffs that these types of deficits are nothing to them. That showed up in the second half. Pascal Siakam scored on a transition layup to make it a 67-55 contest less than four minutes into the third quarter. Uh oh. It was happening again. The Thunder couldn't take care of the ball. And when it did, too many misses around the rim hurt them. TJ McConnell took over late in the third quarter to make it a single-digit deficit. He sliced through OKC's defense. Indiana scored 34 points in the third frame. The Thunder only had an 87-79 lead with a quarter left. It didn't take long for the Pacers to make things super interesting for the average NBA fan and super stressful for the average OKC viewer. Siakam's second-chance 3-pointer cut the Thunder's lead to 95-93 with over eight minutes left in the game. Surely that meant another tight finish. It was the Pacers' turn to return the favor. The Thunder hung around in Game 4 before they stole a road win with a superhero fourth quarter by Gilgeous-Alexander. Except Indiana quickly realized it didn't have that guy. Tyrese Haliburton was a no-show. Only up by two points, the Thunder immediately responded with a 17-4 run. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams took over in that stretch. Gilgeous-Alexander finally snapped out of it and hit on difficult jumpers. Meanwhile, Williams turned in one of the best stretches of his career by dominating the Pacers. That run suddenly put the Thunder up 112-97. Before you could even realize what happened, the Thunder blitzed the Pacers on the scoreboard to go back up by a comfortable double-digit margin. Indiana had no idea what just happened as it looked lost in the final moments. The Thunder shot 43% from the field and went 14-of-32 (43.8%) from 3. They shot 26-of-32 on free throws. They had 24 assists on 40 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points. Williams led the way with an efficient 40 points. Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points and 10 assists that went under the radar because of his fellow All-NBA teammate. Aaron Wiggins had 14 points and Cason Wallace had 11 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 45% from the field and went 11-of-30 (36.7%) from 3. They shot 24-of-30 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 37 baskets. Five Pacers players scored double-digit points. Siakam finished with 28 points, six rebounds and five assists. Haliburton was quiet with four points, seven rebounds and six assists. McConnell surprised with 18 points off the bench. Aaron Nesmith had 14 points. Myles Turner had 13 points and six rebounds. Obi Toppin tallied 12 points. Another legacy performance by Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. The Thunder's best two players stepped up while the Pacers' best player faded into the background. They teased another comeback, but constantly chipping away from double-digit deficits isn't the best long-term formula for wins. The Thunder are on the cusp of their first NBA championship. They're a win away and have taken full control of this NBA Finals series. Let's look at Thunder player grades: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A-plus Reading Andrew Nembhard's next move, Gilgeous-Alexander easily read his pass for an interception. Drawing contact from Haliburton in transition, the MVP winner completed the steal-and-score sequence to put OKC back up by double-digit points for the rest of the way. Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 31 points on 9-of-21 shooting, 10 assists and two rebounds. He shot 0-of-3 from 3 and went 13-of-14 on free throws. He also had four blocks and two steals. While the Pacers did a better job at limiting Gilgeous-Alexander's looks, the MVP winner always finds a way. This time, he drew contact on his drives to the basket. The free-throw line was his friend as it helped him rack up another 30-point performance. Gilgeous-Alexander also leveraged the defensive attention he received. When he has the ball, 10 sets of eyes from Indiana are on him. That helped him take advantage of his gravity and dish out assists. The 10 assists matched the same amount the Thunder had as a whole in Game 4. With things looking dire, Gilgeous-Alexander went back to being a no-nonsense scorer. He scored nine points in the final frame to put the Pacers away. Each time he went to the free-throw line, he was met with the loudest MVP chants he's probably heard in his entire career. Just like that, Gilgeous-Alexander is a win away from one of the greatest individual seasons ever. His regular-season scoring dominance has translated to the NBA's biggest stage. If the Thunder can get one more win, he'll cap off one of the greatest NBA Finals debuts ever. Jalen Williams: A-plus Dancing with Nesmith, Williams went to his bag for his final bucket. A little bump and turnaround fadeaway looked as easy as riding a bike. He swished in the mid-range jumper. On the biggest stage of his basketball life, the 24-year-old delivered a performance that'll forever be remembered. Williams finished with 40 points on 14-of-25 shooting, six rebounds and four assists. He shot 3-of-5 from 3 and went 9-of-12 on free throws. He also had a steal. Holy crap. Talk about having a game that could change your career trajectory. Usually viewed as Robin, Williams stepped up as Batman with everything on the line. He made any pre-playoff concerns about him being a viable enough second option look silly. Williams was unstoppable from the start. He destroyed Indiana's interior defense. The mid-range jumper found a groove. The footwork was impeccable. He bumped multiple defenders off him to create space. On top of all that, he got to the free-throw line at will. That was always the 24-year-old's biggest gripe all year. To get over that hump at the freaking NBA Finals is surreal to see. As the Pacers cut it to as little as two points, Williams dragged the Thunder to a win. He scored 24 points in the second half alone. Each time Indiana looked on the verge of retaking the lead, he knocked down a big-time bucket to soothe any worries. If the Thunder win the championship, "Game 5 Williams" will be talked about the same way as some of the all-time great NBA Finals performances. Perhaps those NBA folks who told Brian Windhorst he has some Scottie Pippen in him weren't that far off. Chet Holmgren: B This will come off as a backhanded compliment, but for as bad as Holmgren was on the offensive end, he was equally as good on the defensive end. One of the most polarizing NBA players left his mark on one of the most important Thunder wins. Holmgren finished with nine points on 4-of-15 shooting, 11 rebounds and three blocks. He shot 1-of-3 from 3. He also had a steal. The box score stats aren't pretty. Holmgren is still pretty far away from being a dependable scorer. This game showed that. Rushed drives to the basket, which resulted in nasty misses. Clumsy turnovers that were created by a loose handle. But man, the defense is one-of-a-kind. The Pacers failed to create rim pressure. Holmgren can be thanked for that. The seven-footer forced Indiana to second-guess itself on drives to the basket. A red-hot McConnell tried to score deep in the paint against him and failed to do so. To evaluate Holmgren requires nuance. The scoring numbers might dampen the public's opinion, but there's a reason why the Thunder dominated in his minutes and played him down the stretch. What he brings as a rim protector justifies the ugly offensive possessions. Cason Wallace: B-plus Backpedaling to the right corner, Wallace finally had a heavy toll lifted off his shoulders. He swished in his first outside bucket of the NBA Finals. He previously missed his first eight attempts. And once you see one go in, more soon follow. Wallace finished with 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and two rebounds. He shot 3-of-4 from 3. He also had four steals and one block. This was easily his best NBA Finals performance after his playing time dwindled. The Thunder needed this type of production from Wallace. The 21-year-old struggled with confidence problems early on. He finally snapped out of it in Game 5. Perfect timing, too, as the Thunder's depth outplayed the Pacers'. And then there's the steals. Wallace was a defensive monster. Usually reliable on that end, the Pacers put him through the blender at the start of the NBA Finals with constant switches. That didn't work out this time. He was a step ahead of their passes and racked up plenty of steals. Since Game 1, the Thunder and Pacers were about even the next three games in the turnover department. That was great news for Indiana. It's superb ball security took away OKC's defensive superpower. Until Game 5. Things went back the Thunder's way. Aaron Wiggins: A Left open because of Gilgeous-Alexander's attention, Wiggins made the Pacers regret leaving him open from deep. The 26-year-old made more outside buckets by himself in Game 5 than the Thunder did as an entire team in Game 4. They enjoyed some positive regression. Wiggins finished with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting and five rebounds. He shot 4-of-7 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block. Role players play better at home. Wiggins exemplified that principle. When he gets going, the Thunder are difficult to beat. He adds another shot-creator who could create a rhythm and dominate the bench lineups. This was another all-around performance by the Thunder. Everybody played a role. Heading into Game 5, they were due for some steals and outside buckets. They received both from their starters and bench players. Highlights:
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Gilgeous-Alexander supports Williams with 31 points, 10 assists to put Thunder 1 win from NBA title
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander became the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season primarily by being a dominant scorer. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals, he showed he's pretty good as a more traditional point guard, too. He had 31 points and 10 assists in a secondary role to Jalen Williams as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers 120-109 on Monday night . The Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the series and now are a win short of their first NBA title. Gilgeous-Alexander was the league's scoring champion this season, and he has led the team in scoring in all but four playoff games. Even when Williams has had breakout performances, they've largely been secondary to Gilgeous-Alexander's gaudy numbers. Not this time. Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points, so Gilgeous-Alexander didn't need to force things against Indiana's constant double-teams. Gilgeous-Alexander still produced big numbers, going 9 for 21 from the field and making 13 of 14 free throws. But he was thrilled that Williams took the lead role. 'He can shoulder a load,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I've said this before — he does so many things for us as a basketball team on both ends of the floor when he's the best version of himself ... he was great tonight. Makes a world of a difference when he's that good, for sure.' It makes sense that Indiana paid extra attention to Gilgeous-Alexander, who joined Kobe Bryant, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan on Monday as the only players with 15 or more games with at least 30 points in a postseason. But Williams solved Indiana's defense again in his third straight game with at least 26 points. And when the Pacers tried to rally in the fourth quarter, Williams scored 11 points in the final period and Gilgeous-Alexander had nine points and four assists. 'Thought those guys played really well in the two-man game,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Controlled the clock, controlled the game down the stretch, paced us ahead of them.' It's all part of Gilgeous-Alexander's master plan. After last season's loss to Dallas in the Western Conference semifinals, Gilgeous-Alexander talked about stepping back a bit at times to help his teammates develop so they could be ready to help him at critical times. It all clicked for Williams at just the right time. He made 14 of 25 field goals and 9 of 12 free throws on Monday night. He said he's thankful to be in a position where his teammates want him to succeed. 'I'm just in a really, really good situation that's allowed me to grow as a player at a more rapid rate because I'm not worried about what if I fail,' he said. 'I know I have guys that pick me up when I fall short. I try and do the same thing for them. I think our team chemistry's something that's got us here, kept us strong.' Gilgeous-Alexander believes Williams has great games ahead. He hopes the next one is in Game 6 in Indianapolis. 'I'm not surprised by his performance tonight' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Like, the kid works super hard. He has the right intentions. He deserves this moment. Now with that being said, we got one more game to win, and I know he's not satisfied by this performance.' ___ AP NBA:
NBC Sports
5 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Rivals Five-Star: Key RB storylines to follow heading into Indianapolis
The Rivals Five-Star is being held June 23-24 at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility. Here are four running back storylines we're following heading into the biggest event of the summer. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Key QB storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy BEST OF RIVALS CAMP SERIES: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL | Five best LBs | Five best DBs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker The elite running back recruit has been busy with his national official visit schedule, taking in Georgia over the weekend and Florida State into the early week. Alabama, Miami, Auburn and others hosted him prior and/or are looking to make a late run at the South Florida native. Cooper talked about coming off the board as early as this week in a recent conversation with Rivals, but the back-to-back stops in Athens and Tallahassee could present a potential wrench in those plans. Going into the latest visit stretch, the Cooper recruitment had long felt like a Miami-Georgia battle so those two programs will continue to hold the buzz until a verbal commitment is to be made. Will Cooper stay home with The U or make a second commitment to Kirby Smart and company? Four of the nation's top-10 running back projections in the class of 2026, as well as the top-ranked all-purpose back in the rising-senior class, will be hitting the field in Indianapolis together. Cooper is the only five-star of the bunch to date, but Notre Dame commitment Javian Osborne, Ohio State pledge Favour Akih, future Florida back Carsyn Baker and spring USC commitment Deshonne Redeaux are each bringing a unique style to the event in addition to representing powerhouse college programs. In a setting that values versatility and flash ability in space, which of the committed backs can challenge Cooper for a potential fifth star or run at the top of the position rankings? Going into it, Osborne is the closest, currently tabbed as the No. 3 running back in the Rivals250. The rising-senior class is loaded and there is a special 2028 to participate with the running back group, but the top of the 2027 board will also be well-represented in Indy with top-ranked running back recruit Tyson Robinson and No. 1 all-purpose back CJ Cowley also signed up for the event. Robinson, who holds more than 30 scholarship offers to his name, brings a traditional compact build to the table along with real intrigue coming out of the state of Mississippi in what could be a breakout national performance. Cowley has flashed in camp settings this offseason, even snagging running back MVP honors at the Under Armour Atlanta event, so expect the Alabama native to continue to work well against linebackers and defensive backs considering the indoor setting. While very few 2028 recruits were even under consideration for a Rivals Five-Star invite, IMG Academy's Eric McFarland was on the list at multiple positions. The running back and wide receiver hybrid may become his own storyline if he continues to work out at each spot with the type of dominance he has shown over the last year or so no matter where he lines up. The event is not a padded setting, so McFarland's ability to work away from contact coming out of the backfield, in the slot or otherwise will almost certainly turn heads. There isn't a traditional back on the roster with the Las Vegas native's chops as a route-runner or potential finisher at the catch point, so it would be foolish to overlook the speedy freshman's value despite his youth.
