Toronto a potential trade suitor for Kevin Durant?

In today’s NBA, where positionless basketball and player versatility are at a premium, Bender often hears the “you were ahead of your time” talk. “You see a guy like KD, and you’re like — okay, that’s what I was trying to do,” Bender says. “But KD? That dude took it to another stratosphere. He stayed healthy. That’s the difference. I tip my hat to him.” When we talk about how the league has changed — how a seven-footer pulling up from 30 is now normal — Bender smiles. “I love it. Let them cook. I just hope these young dudes are investing in their bodies. Don’t wait until the pain starts.” -via ScoopB.com / June 6, 2025

This is not to say the Rockets and Suns are not in communication. On the contrary, Phoenix is aggressive in pursuit of a) trading Kevin Durant and b) regaining full control of their draft capital starting with the No. 10 pick in next month’s draft, team sources said. Since the conclusion of the season, Houston has fielded several calls from Phoenix, who have since gradually lowered their asking price for Durant, those sources said. There is a price where the Rockets would be interested, but with a fear of breaking up their roster for a 36-year-old coming off injury, doubt remains over a deal materializing. -via New York Times / June 5, 2025

“Number two, the vibe I’ve gotten from you and others is that the way this all went down in February—the Suns want to make sure they don’t do Kevin Durant like that again. Because the way it went down in February was like Kevin Durant was about to get traded to the Golden State Warriors and he had no idea, right? Or he had not been consulted, or he had not been talked to about it at all. And the general consensus after all that happened was: that’s just not how you do it with Kevin Durant. You include him in the process to make sure he’s aware of what’s going down, so he feels he’s got some ownership. -via YouTube / June 5, 2025