This NBA offseason has already delivered its fair share of high-stakes storylines. Who will the New York Knicks hire as their next head coach? Will the Milwaukee Bucks finally pull the trigger on a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade? Can the Los Angeles Lakers make the right moves to remain relevant?
All valid questions — but it feels like one narrative is flying under the radar:
Kevin Durant to the San Antonio Spurs.
On a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, NBA insider Bill Simmons suggested that a deal between the Phoenix Suns and San Antonio Spurs may already be in place — it’s just a matter of when it will be publicly revealed.
“I think they’re just gonna trade for KD, and it’ll cost a lot less. They’ll be really competitive and maybe go a couple rounds in the playoffs — but they’re also going to keep the No. 2 pick.”
Simmons did include a disclaimer that he has no inside information, framing the possibility more as a hunch than a confirmed scoop. But given the NBA’s track record of shocking transactions and under-the-table negotiations, fans are right to raise an eyebrow. For context: when Luka Dončić was traded to the Lakers earlier this year, rumors of the deal were so unexpected that some believed Shams Charania’s Twitter account had been hacked.
Why San Antonio?
The Spurs currently hold the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and are reportedly the odds-on favorites to land Durant. A potential big three of Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, and Durant would instantly elevate San Antonio from rebuilding to contending.
After a disappointing 2024–25 season — finishing 13th in the Western Conference — San Antonio faces a crossroads. With a young, deep roster and another high draft pick, the Spurs can either continue to build slowly or go all-in by acquiring a proven veteran to accelerate the timeline.
Enter Kevin Durant:
- 2x NBA Champion
- Former MVP
- 14x All-Star
- Still playing at an MVP-caliber level at age 36
Durant’s time in Phoenix has grown turbulent. Clashing with multiple head coaches and falling short in the postseason, it’s clear his pairing with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal didn’t translate into championship success.
What would it cost the Spurs to land Kevin Durant?
Simmons floated a trade package of:
- Devin Vassell
- Harrison Barnes
- A future first-round pick
From a salary perspective, Barnes acts primarily as a cap balancer, while Vassell, 24, is a promising two-way guard who has averaged 16+ points per game over the last three seasons. For Phoenix, that’s not a terrible return, especially considering Durant’s age (he’ll be 37 by the start of the 2025–26 season) and the diminishing leverage they have in trade talks.
It’s unlikely the Suns will get anything close to the haul they gave up to acquire Durant in the first place. But this deal would give them cap flexibility, a young core to build around, and continued room to shape the roster around Booker.
Kevin Durant isn’t just a splashy name — he may be exactly what the Spurs have been waiting for: a veteran leader, a go-to scorer, and a playoff-tested champion who could guide Wembanyama’s rise and bring San Antonio back into national relevance.
Now, the clock ticks.
Because if Simmons is right, it’s only a matter of time before Shams Charania hits "send" on a headline-grabbing tweet that officially reshapes the Western Conference.