It has been known for months that Kevin Durant will be traded from the Phoenix Suns this summer after the project's failure was confirmed. The player now enters the final year of his contract in exchange for 54 million dollars, and half the league is vying for him in the NBA market. The question we are asking now is whether he, as usual, will decide his future or if it will be decided by the Arizona team.
With only one year left on his contract, Durant could have some influence on his next destination. However, the Suns are not obligated to respect his preferences, especially if a team willing to acquire him as a rental for a season emerges. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, “it is expected that they will soon explore the Durant market. There will be several interested teams, but the key is that he has one year left on his contract. Will he want to sign an extension? Will he participate in the trade process? And will the Suns allow him to be part of that process? That will be decisive.”
In the past, the forward's preferences have weighed in similar decisions. When he requested to leave the Brooklyn Nets in 2022, he placed Phoenix as his top destination and Miami as the second choice. Although the Nets initially withdrew his name from the market, they eventually sent him to the Suns during the 2023 trade deadline, following Mat Ishbia's arrival as the new owner and his willingness to meet Brooklyn's demands. This upcoming trade window will be a test to see if Durant and his partner Rich Kleiman still have the same level of control over the player's future.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Mercado NBA: La pregunta clave que nadie se hace sobre el futuro de Kevin Durant