NBA Power Rankings: 3 teams Kevin Durant should prefer over Suns this offseason and why

The Phoenix Suns came to a sobering realization ahead of the NBA trade deadline: This isn't working.

For as talented as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are, this roster is just not built to contend. That led the Suns to take drastic action. When it became clear that Beal was unmovable, Phoenix started floating KD to prospective suitors.

There was real momentum behind a complex, multi-team trade to send KD to the Golden State Warriors and Jimmy Butler to Phoenix, but Durant shot it down. He didn't want to change teams midseason. As a result, Butler wound up in Durant's old stomping grounds of San Francisco, and the Suns are left in an uncomfortable stasis.

KD will finish the campaign in Phoenix, where he's currently four games below .500 and outside the Play-In picture, but it's clear the Suns will not extend the partnership any further. The 36-year-old will enter the final year of his contract next season. Rather than treading water in mediocrity — and with the highest payroll in basketball — Phoenix is expected to actually trade Durant this summer.

It's the only logical path forward. The Suns are absent valuable draft capital or financial flexibility. The only way to free up the cap sheet and generate maneuverability moving forward is to recoup a haul of picks and players for KD. Now is the time, while his value is still relatively high in the twilight of his career.

Durant has made it clear he's content in Phoenix, but he should prefer these teams instead.

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3. Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder are going to struggle to pay everybody in a few years, so this trade is unlikely. That said, Sam Presti has the NBA's deepest asset stores and enough flexibility to accommodate Durant in the short term. If KD somehow accepts a discount to finish his career in OKC after next season, that'd be even sweeter (although, again, it's highly improbable).

OKC is better equipped than most to trade for Durant without completely decimating their supporting cast or compromising their future. KD is not necessarily on OKC's timeline at 36, but the Thunder are trying to win right now. This is not a young team building toward the future, it's a young team trying to stack rings. The fit is strong, as are the vibes. Those fans still love and appreciate Durant, even after a messy breakup. One has to think they'd welcome him back with an NBA title in mind.

Durant's spacing and shot-making would open up the floor in a major way for the Thunder offense. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA's most prolific slasher, always getting two feet in the paint and applying pressure on the rim. OKC has made a point to lean into the intersection of size and skill across the board. The Thunder want everybody to have dribble-pass-shoot utility.

He's not getting to the rim as much as he used to, but Durant's shooting remains otherworldly for a player his size. He's going to draw double teams and keep the floor spaced for SGA, forming the most potent scoring duo in the NBA. It's unclear how sustainable this would be, but we all want to see it. Durant should at least have an open mind.

2. Houston Rockets

This is the team Phoenix should be circling. The Houston Rockets control the Suns' next few drafts. If Phoenix can use Durant to get its own picks back, that opens the door for a proper rebuild. It's unclear if the Suns actually want to go down that route with Devin Booker also on the roster, but bottoming out and building a more solid foundation is a reasonable path forward if Mat Ishbia can stomach the ego check of a few losing seasons.

For the Rockets, Durant is an obvious fit. Houston is a young group and might prefer a superstar better aligned with their core, but the chance to roster KD comes around only once in a generation. Houston is ready to contend right now, and there's reason to believe Durant puts them in that upper echelon of Western Conference powers.

The Rockets are a stifling defensive unit with an inconsistent offense that feels destined to cut their first postseason run under Ime Udoka short. Amen Thompson has made the leap and Jalen Green still puts together the occasional heater, but the Rockets too often get bogged down in the halfcourt. There just isn't enough consistent shot-making on the perimeter. Durant, still an elite shooter to this day, shifts that dynamic rather dramatically. He can space the floor, create his own looks in the mid-range, and give the Rockets' offensive a proper gravitational center.

Durant's presence would open up the floor for Alperen Sengun, Thompson, and others. The whole ship sails more smoothly with Durant at the helm. Plus, he's the sort of experienced winner and polished craftsman who can help a young core take the next step. This would be a beneficial partnership for all parties involved.

1. Golden State Warriors

Really, still? Yes.

Durant did not want to return to Golden State, but he has left the door wide open for an offseason trade to the Bay Area. The Warriors, frankly, didnt give up much for Jimmy Butler. Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, and a lot of the trade assets Phoenix would covet are still at GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s disposal.

Durant is absolutely more sensitive to his legacy and fan perception than he lets on, but the benefits of returning to Golden State are manifold. Frankly, it helps his legacy. It rebuilds a burnt bridge and reunites him with Steph, bringing back the greatest duo in modern NBA history. Odds are it won't be quite as unbeatable in 2026 as it was in 2017, but the combined shooting gravity of Curry and Durant will still leave defenses scrambling for answers — especially with Butler dicing up the painted area and mid-range.

Golden State is 6-1 since Butler arrived. That is a small sample size, of course, but the team feels different. When there's another star to take the attention away from Steph, this Warriors offense is hard to stop. Add another star, and the ramifications would be pronounced. Golden State probably needs to trade Draymond in order to make this work, which might ruffle a few feathers, but it's a no-brainer. The Dubs need to go the extra mile to give Curry (and Durant and Butler) a chance to win a ring.

This could be one of this generation's greatest second acts. We should not close the door on it at all.