Kevin Durant's next team odds: Spurs, Rockets viable suitors

For the NBA offseason to live up to the chaos many are predicting, two players are expected to be traded: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. Antetokounmpo's still figuring out his future, but Durant will assuredly play somewhere other than Phoenix next season. It's not a matter of if the Suns trade the 15-time All-Star, but when and to whom.

The Suns and Durant's representatives have reportedly discussed trade scenarios. Phoenix apparently shopped Durant at the trade deadline before holding onto him for the remainder of its disastrous season. With Durant and the Suns' failed partnership officially reaching its breaking point, Phoenix wants to hit the restart button as much as Durant would prefer to move on.

The Rockets, Spurs, Knicks, Timberwolves, and Heat have reportedly expressed interest in Durant. The Spurs are the substantial favorites to acquire him, with the Rockets and Timberwolves trailing on theScore Bet.

Kevin Durant next team odds

The Spurs, Rockets, and Timberwolves are the three most logical suitors. Where Durant lands might ultimately depend on his value and how much teams are willing to give up. The Suns don't have much leverage, given it's in their best interest to part with Durant, who's on an expiring deal. The 2014 MVP has plenty of leverage in choosing his next destination because a team wouldn't trade for him without the expectation he'd sign an extension. Durant is eligible to ink a two-year extension after he's dealt.

What will organizations hand over in exchange for a 36-year-old on the decline? While Durant's an All-Star and an efficient scorer, he's entering his 18th season. He still averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists last campaign, but he can't be the centerpiece of a contending team anymore.

The Spurs won't sacrifice their young core of Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle - the last two Rookie of the Year winners - and whoever they draft with the No. 2 selection. However, if the Suns are willing to accept an offer of Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, and future picks, San Antonio could be tempted to accelerate its contention timeline.

Wembanyama was considered the best prospect in 20 years when he was drafted in 2023, but even the Spurs couldn't have anticipated his immediate impact. He's hovering around a top-10 player in the league and was on track to win Defensive Player of the Year before a blood clot issue ended his season early. San Antonio instantly becomes a contender by adding Durant's veteran scoring presence.

The Rockets took a huge leap with a young core this campaign, catapulting from a team missing the playoffs to the No. 2 seed in a competitive West. However, Houston lacked a reliable scorer in the clutch, eventually leading to its first-round exit. Is there a better piece to complete Houston's puzzle than Durant?

Houston has a war chest of assets to gift the Suns, including draft capital, Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Green, and other young players who didn't even crack the Rockets rotation like Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore. Phoenix should be interested in any package Houston can put together. The issue is the Antetokounmpo factor. The Bucks superstar's future is uncertain. While it's presumed he'll eventually ask out of Milwaukee, he recently hinted that may not be the case.

If Antetokounmpo becomes available, the Rockets should pursue him over Durant and have a package that Milwaukee would be interested in. But if Houston pulls the trigger on a Durant trade, it'll lose key pieces needed for an Antetokounmpo deal. It's a tricky situation for the Rockets - and other interested parties - to navigate as the Suns are expected to move Durant before a potential Antetokounmpo trade.

The Timberwolves reportedly attempted to acquire Durant at the deadline and are interested in pairing him with his mentee, Anthony Edwards. The Wolves make sense for Durant. Edwards is the face of the franchise but needs a reliable secondary creator and scorer to provide relief when defensive coverages slow him down in the postseason. Still, Minnesota can't sacrifice too much of its depth for Durant, so it'll be a suitor if the bidding war stays reasonable.

The Heat will also explore trade scenarios to pair Durant with Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. Miami won't enter a rebuild, so it's desperate for another win-now piece to become a threat in the East.

The Knicks have been linked to Durant, as they always are with big stars. But the New York Post reported that the Knicks aren't pursuing Durant, and it's hard to imagine a scenario where they would.

New York would need to sacrifice either Mikal Bridges or Karl-Anthony Towns in any Durant trade. Bridges was part of the package that sent Durant to Phoenix from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023. Would the Suns take Bridges back on an expiring contract without guaranteeing he'd sign an extension? For the Knicks, surrendering younger pieces for an expensive and aging Durant, who hasn't won a playoff series since 2023, would be irresponsible, considering they were two wins away from the NBA Finals.

The Durant sweepstakes are heating up as a trade will likely be finalized in June. Since leaving the Warriors, franchises that have acquired Durant have fallen short of expectations and often found themselves scrambling in the aftermath. Durant's next - and possibly last - destination will want better results.

Sam Oshtry is a sports writer at theScore. You can follow him on X @soshtry for more betting coverage.