Nine different All-Stars changed teams during the period leading up to the 2025 NBA trade deadline, and a player that has accomplished more than them all nearly became the 10th. In their widely-reported pursuit of Jimmy Butler, the Phoenix Suns eventually realized that there was a workable way to include Bradley Beal as the matching salary. Therefore, they pursued a possible three-team deal in which they would acquire Butler and Kevin Durant would head out of Phoenix to return to the Golden State Warriors.
The problem? Durant did not want to go back to the Warriors, where he won the championship in 2017 and 2018.
The deal fell apart from there, and the Warriors moved on to land Butler themselves. Durant’s former teammate, Draymond Green, had Durant on his podcast to talk about the situation. When asked directly if he hopes to finish his career in Phoenix, Durant responded, “I want my career to end on my terms. That’s the only thing.”
Reports have suggested that Phoenix did not keep Durant updated on the talks, and that he was not happy about that. As far as the Warriors specifically, Durant indicated that he simply did not want to change teams during the season.
“As far as the Warriors, I didn’t want to move, and then, as a player like me, I cost a lot. Me going into your team in the middle of the season it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going to,” Durant said. “I get why you want to trade me, simple fact that’s just business. But for me looking at it, it just doesn’t make sense for either side to go through that when we could just play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason then you figure it out.”
Durant said he wants to “see it through” when it comes to his time with the Suns, including the remainder of this season.
“You know when you commit to something in the season like that. Nobody’s like, big injuries, like everybody’s in the lineup. I’m trying to see this through to the end and see what we can really do with it,” Durant said. “And I feel like I’m committed to my coaches and teammates, and I wanna see it through. I wanted to lock in on that.”
Kevin Durant trade? What summer landscape looks like for Suns after near deals at deadline
Sam Quinn
Why the Suns trading Durant makes sense
The widespread expectation is that the Suns will indeed trade Durant over the summer. “They’re gonna trade him and he knows that,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday.
Even without substantial reporting, common sense suggests that a move is warranted. The Suns are 27-31 and in line to hand the Houston Rockets a lottery pick in June. They have limited financial flexibility and have spent the majority of their draft capital on failed attempts to improve. The Suns badly need a reset of some sort. Trading the aging Durant to a team more capable of winning right now is the simplest way to do that.
By waiting for the offseason, Durant loses a chance to genuinely compete for the championship this season. He does, however, give his new team a bit more flexibility in addressing the cost associated with acquiring him. An offseason trade would give his new team more room to build around him.
It would also give him a bit more control of a potential destination. This summer, Durant will be only one season away from unrestricted free agency. Few teams are going to be comfortable trading significant assets for Durant without some assurance that he wants to stay there and perhaps retire with them.
If he decides to retire on his own terms, he may have the opportunity to do so this summer. However, it appears that rejoining the Warriors is not the way he envisions concluding his career.