Suns and KD meet several times this week, Rockets and Spurs lead the top five suitors

On June 12, ESPN reporter Shams Charaney reported that Durant and his agent Kleiman and the Suns met several times in the past week and they are screening the trading plan together. The Suns and Durant are expected to work together to decide where the star's next stop will go.

People familiar with the matter revealed that teams that expressed interest in Durant include the Rockets, Spurs, Heat, Timberwolves and Knicks, and some potential wild card suitors have asked for the price in the past 7-10 days. Suns management and Durant’s agents will continue to talk, with trading negotiations expected to heat up before the end of the month draft.

Durant's contract has only one year left for the season and his salary is $54.7 million, which gives him a certain voice in the negotiations. Because the next team hopes to get Durant's renewal promise, if Durant does not want to go to a certain team, he can affect the team's willingness to trade by refusing to renew the contract. Once traded, Durant is eligible to sign a two-year, $112 million early renewal contract on July 6. If he waits for 6 months after the transaction, he can sign a 2-year, $124 million early contract renewal.

This summer, there are few teams with cap space, with only the Nets holding more than $40 million in space. And by 2026, the situation will be very different, by which time half of the league's teams will have cap space.

Before the trading deadline in February this year, Durant was almost traded to the Warriors, but he made it clear that he was not interested in returning to Golden State and was more willing to play this season in the Suns, and the deal was not formed in the end. It is reported that Durant was not aware of the Suns' preparation for trading, but at present, he will cooperate with the team to determine the trading plan.

Durant will turn 37 in September this year. He is selected for the All-Star for the 15th time this season, averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games. According to statistics, KD has averaged at least 25 points per game for three consecutive seasons, with a shooting percentage of 50% and a three-point shooting percentage of 40%, which is the longest record in the NBA history. In addition, data shows that Durant has the best jump shot percentage in the league (49.7%) and dribble jump shot percentage (50.9%) this season, and his mid-range shooting percentage (53.1%) is also the highest.

The Suns have only 36 wins and 46 losses this season and missed the Western Conference Play-offs. They have the highest salary expenses in the league. With the complete failure of the season, the Suns ushered in a major reshuffle. Brian Gregory becomes the new general manager, and Cavaliers assistant coach Jordan Ultra serves as head coach, and they will enter a new chapter.

(text/Thai Fu)