It’s the fertile time of year for NBA rumors. In the run-up to the NBA draft and free agency a juicy rumor or speculation can spread like wildfire — even if there is no substance to it.
Enter ESPN and the rumor the Houston Rockets want to trade for Kevin Durant. What started with a post on X from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski spun into a day of talking points on the network’s talk shows — this is precisely what new Lakers coach J.J. Redick called the “engagement farming industry.” So Suns owner Mat Ishbia stepped in and tried to put a stop to the idea Phoenix was going to trade Kevin Durant.
NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong.
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) June 26, 2024
My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. Gotta…
Every report from a respected media member out of Phoenix — and every conversation NBC Sports has had with scouts and front office people from other teams — has echoed that very point: The Suns are going to run it back this year and try to win a ring. How realistic that dream is, whether the second apron of the luxury tax will eventually force a trade, and how well their big three of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal mesh can be up for debate. However, this year’s plan is set. The Suns brought in a new coach in Mike Budenholzer to maximize this trio. They weren’t ever going to blow it up.
Do the Houston Rockets want to trade for Durant or Booker? No doubt. And that is where this likely started, with an internal belief (or hope) in Houston that Durant wants out of Phoenix or will push for an exit if things start slowly this season (or, longer term, if the team falls short in the playoffs next season). That led Houston to make moves to get control of a number of Suns picks that would make the Suns whole if they have to pivot and trade a star or two. They likely talked with Wojnarowski and other reporters about those hopes and plans.
A team dreaming of and planning for a trade is very different from two teams being on the same page and discussing a deal. Phoenix is not talking deal right now. There is no Kevin Durant trade coming — that’s not speculation, that’s what the team’s owner is making very clear.
