The Phoenix Suns have been trying to trade Kevin Durant for weeks, hoping to get a deal done before the 2025 NBA Draft. However, as draft night gets closer, things aren’t looking great for the Suns.
Reports from sports journalists Marc Stein and Jake Fischer say that the Miami Heat are strongly against giving up their promising young center, Kel’el Ware, in any trade for Durant. Ware had a good first year in the league, averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. The Suns really wanted a good starting center, and Ware seemed like a perfect fit. But Miami’s team management is clear: they don’t want to trade the 21-year-old for Durant, who will be 37 years old in September and has only one year left on his contract (earning $54.7 million next season). If Ware isn’t part of the deal, Phoenix would likely want future first-round draft picks from Miami.
It’s not just the Heat saying no to including young talent. The Houston Rockets are reportedly unwilling to trade Jabari Smith Jr. (who averaged 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds last season). Also, the Toronto Raptors don’t want to include their center, Jakob Poeltl (who averaged 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks last season), in any trade for Durant.
The Suns started this offseason hoping that many teams would be interested in Kevin Durant, leading to a strong competition for him. However, because Durant is getting older and has had trouble staying healthy recently, teams aren’t willing to offer a lot for him. While the Suns still want to trade him, this situation might continue even after the NBA Draft next week.
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