Famous reporter revealed the reason why the Suns traded Durant, and the team was helpless! The Rockets have issued a clear offer

The finals of this season are still continuing, but the NBA trading market is getting lively in advance. The Suns' discussion on Kevin Durant's trade has become the focus of enthusiastic discussion for fans. The Stein Line reporter Jake Fischer reported that the Suns management has been helpless in trading Durant's plan.

From now until the draft on June 25, the Suns' idea of ​​trading Durant is becoming more and more determined. There is a key reason behind this, that is, the Suns wanted to find a trading partner for Bradley Bill to regroup the lineup around Devin Booker and Durant, but the actual situation hit them hard. Before the February 6 trading deadline, the Suns tried various methods, but found that almost no team was willing to ask for a salary of about $111 million in Bill's contract for the remaining two years. It was said that only the Atlanta Hawks and the Washington Wizards had ideas, but Bill did not want to give up the trade veto power.

More than four months have passed, and the trading situation around Bills is still not optimistic, which makes the Suns have to re-view the lineup plan. Trading Durant seems to be the only way for them to re-group the lineup around Booker without wanting to continue to improve in the West.

Suns also think that trading Durant may give Bill more offensive opportunities and play a performance that matches his high-salary contract. Previously, when the Suns recruited coaches, they also asked the candidates about how to get Bill to the best condition. ,

2024-25 regular season, Bill averaged 17 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game, but he has two years left in the contract. His annual salary in the 2025-26 season is as high as $53.66 million, and his annual salary in the 2026-27 season (players can choose) is even more than $57.13 million; such a high salary, compared with his performance on the court, does put a lot of pressure on the Suns.

According to The Athletic reporter Sam Amick and Jon Krawczynski, many well-informed people in the league said that Durant wanted to go to the next home with the Spurs, Rockets and Heat. The Rockets were not idle either, and they started actual negotiations with the Suns on the Durant deal, and had given a clear offer. However, the Suns were not enthusiastic about the Rockets' offer, and the two sides seemed to have a big difference. In terms of salary, ESPN salary expert Bobby Marks once reported that due to the 38-year-old rule, Durant (with one year left in the contract, the amount is $54.71 million) can only sign for two years this summer. If he stays with the Suns, he can renew a contract of $124 million for two years; if he is traded, he can renew his contract with the new team for two years, with the amount of $111 million; six months after the transaction, he is eligible to sign a contract of $124 million for two years. For the Suns, the consideration of cap space is also one of the factors driving the transaction.

In this season, 36-year-old Durant played 62 regular season games for the Suns, playing 36.5 minutes per game, scoring 26.6 points, 6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.2 blocks. The three shooting percentages are 52.7%, 43.0%, and 83.9%, and his personal data is still very impressive; but the team's record is not very ideal, which may be the reason why the Suns are determined to make changes.

So, why did the Suns have to trade Durant? From an internal perspective, the salary structure of the team's lineup has been imbalanced, and Bill's large contract has become a heavy burden, and it is inconsistent with the team's expected performance. Durant's high salary also occupies a lot of salary space. When the team's performance did not meet expectations, the management hopes to optimize the salary structure by trading him and leave room for the team's reconstruction.

Although there is no dominant team, the competition in the West is still getting more and more intense. The Suns have performed very poorly this season and their record is at a disadvantage in the Western Conference rankings. It is highly likely that the Thunder will win the championship, but other teams will definitely not miss the opportunity to strengthen this offseason. After all, many reporters believe that the market this summer will be crazy; if the Suns want to complete their rise again in the new season, they have to make some changes. Durant introduces new players in the trade, which can bring new tactical changes to the team, and the record still has a chance to improve.

However, the Suns face many difficulties in order to successfully trade Durant.

Although the Rockets have a clear offer, the Suns are not satisfied, and the two sides cannot reach an agreement on chips for the time being. The Rockets want to get the superstar with the right chips, and the Suns hope to obtain enough on-the-fly power and draft picks through trades to prepare for the team's reconstruction.

Durant's intention to have limited the number of next players, which also limits the Suns' trading options and increases the difficulty of the transaction. Let us look forward to whether the Suns can successfully trade Durant in the future, and what kind of returns will they gain from the transaction. After all, "Who will fall in Durant" has entered the countdown.