The summer of Kevin Durant did not last long. On the final day of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns completed a massive trade that is sure to alter the landscape in the NBA, particularly in the Western Conference.
More Kevin Durant news: Suns Deal Kevin Durant to Rockets in Massive Blockbuster Trade
The Rockets are the winners of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes as they acquired the 15-time All-Star on Sunday. Although the trade won’t be finalized until July 6, the deal is all but done.
There were many teams that were in the running for Durant, including the San Antonio Spurs. While that was reported, it appears that the Spurs were never a real threat to acquire Durant in a trade.
NBA writer and analyst Jake Weinbach shared via X.
The Spurs were reportedly not among the teams that engaged in serious talks to acquire Kevin Durant, according to @ShamsCharania.San Antonio will likely preserve assets to pursue roster upgrades that better fit the timeline of Victor Wembanyama and its young core down the road.
— Jake Weinbach (@JWeinbachNBA) June 22, 2025
“The Spurs were reportedly not among the teams that engaged in serious talks to acquire Kevin Durant, according to @ShamsCharania.
“San Antonio will likely preserve assets to pursue roster upgrades that better fit the timeline of Victor Wembanyama and its young core down the road.”
A few days before this trade, The Athletic’s Sam Amick made an appearance on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross, discussing how the Spurs were not willing to go ‘all-in’ for Durant.
“Does Durant change his stance on any of the teams not on his list? Now, I keep making this distinction. My understanding is you have the list—the thing his camp chooses to leak to the media—and then you have the real stuff, which is what Durant is telling people. And we’ve come across some of that, and there’s reason to believe he’s looking at San Antonio above the rest. … Because you and I lived it with the [De’Aaron] Fox trade, we just saw how the Spurs had zero intention or willingness to give up anything on their roster—let alone anybody in their young core. I don’t know that that has changed all that much. The way it’s put to me: They’re not going to go all in to get Durant.”
The 36-year-old would have been an excellent addition for the Spurs, but it appears that San Antonio is willing to take the conservative approach and build around Victor Wembanyama with a young core surrounding him.
Durant still lands in Texas; however, instead of being in the south-central part of the state, he is now in the southeast part of it. According to DraftKings, the Rockets now have the second-best odds to win the 2026 NBA Finals with +750 odds.
More Kevin Durant news: Kevin Durant Learned About Trade to Rockets From Fans During Live Event
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