NBA Trade Rumors: Kevin Durant has serious suitor waiting to pounce

The Nets just got done trading Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks but teams are still circling around their other star Kevin Durant in hopes of another trade.

The Nets became the main character of the NBA trade deadline when Kyrie Irving requested a trade out of Brooklyn. Then they got the deal done relatively quickly, shipping him off to the Mavericks on Sunday with an agreement that will benefit both sides.

Is Brooklyn done? Or could the Nets follow through a trade their other huge asset? Is Kevin Durant on the table?

The Suns are apparently going to pay close attention to those questions as Thursday’s deadline approaches. If so, they want in.

Suns eye Kevin Durant trade after missing on Kyrie Irving

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report reported after the Irving deal was agreed that the “Suns are prepared to pursue Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant should he become available.”

Like many teams out there, Phoenix is looking to add the final piece that gives them a through line to an NBA title. Durant would certainly fit the mold as a title-worthy addition.

However, dreaming of adding Durant and actually adding him are two different equations.

If the Nets had made the swap with the Lakers, whose package included pieces aimed at the future more than the present, then a Durant trade would seem more plausible. However, the apparent reason that they spurned LA’s offer in favor of the Mavericks’ doesn’t bode well for the idea of Durant leaving Brooklyn.

Put simply, the Nets preferred the deal that gave them help for right now, specifically a plug-and-play point guard and wing. That suggests Durant isn’t pushing for a trade out of town. Instead, the plan remains to focus on contending this year.

The Suns could approach Brooklyn with a deal they can’t turn down. But it feels like a long shot.