Kevin Durant Trade Rumors: Suns Covet Jabari Smith Jr., Have ‘No Interest’ In Jalen Green

The Phoenix Suns are committed to trading 37-year-old star Kevin Durant this offseason in an effort to retool their roster and jump start their rebuild around Devin Booker. Durant has a short list of teams that he’s willing to play for and sign an extension with beyond next season. The Miami Heat and Houston Rockets are on the list but he reportedly wants to play for the San Antonio Spurs above the rest. However, the Spurs are on a different timeline and aren’t ready to part with any meaningful pieces of their roster in order to make a win-now move, according to Sam Amick. 

via @sam_amick : There’s a list of teams Kevin Durant is reportedly open to … but real list has one team – San Antonio Spurs.

Reason the SAS have no intent to go all in to get Durant. (via @Sactown1140) pic.twitter.com/fUHj3qdwAr

— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) June 19, 2025

Suns Asking For Trade Package Around Jabari Smith Jr.

Unlike the Heat and Spurs, the Rockets have reportedly engaged in several discussions in an attempt to land KD in Houston. Many of the discussions in the media have been based around former No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green, who is coming off of a career year. Green averaged 21.0 points per game while leading the Rockets to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. 

But a new report by longtime Arizona sports radio host John Gambadoro suggests that the Suns aren’t interested in Green following his disappointing showing in the NBA Playoffs. Green was exposed during his first taste of the postseason, as he watched his scoring average drop to just 13.3 points per game on lackluster efficiency. He shot just 37% from the field and 29.5% from 3-point range in the seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors while scoring single-digits in four of the seven games.

Jabari Smith Jr. is likely the best young player the Suns would be able to obtain in a Kevin Durant trade, per @Gambo987 (https://t.co/g89DKWCtLv).

With Phoenix having no interest in Jalen Green, Houston must build a trade package around Smith to get it over the finish line. pic.twitter.com/gMgnbxjMXb

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 19, 2025

Instead, the Suns are asking for a package centered around another former top pick, Jabari Smith. Just 22 years old, Smith has flashed the tools that made him a hot commodity in the 2022 NBA Draft but hasn’t been given the opportunity to blossom into a star in Houston. He took a career-low 9.9 shot attempts per game last season but was efficient with his opportunities, averaging 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in an injury-riddled season.

Along with Smith, the Suns may ask for a mix of young players and future assets. Houston has plenty of both. The Rockets could wield players like Dillon Brooks, Cam Whitmore, and former No. 2 pick Reed Sheppard in a potential deal. Houston also owns the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and two first-round picks in 2027 (including the Suns pick that year). 

Will Phoenix Concede And Send Durant To A Team Not On His List?

At the end of the day, the Suns don’t have to comply with Durant’s request to be traded to one of the three teams on his list. In fact, Mat Ishbia might be doing the franchise a disservice by doing so without entertaining offers from other teams. 

No matter where Durant lands, the Suns have an obligation to their fans to field a competitive roster and should take the best deal available.

Other dark horses have emerged, including the Toronto Raptors and Minnesota Timberwolves, but both teams are considered longshots to land the future Hall of Famer.

While Durant’s preferences may help guide the process, they shouldn’t dictate the outcome. Durant’s exit marks the end of a brief and turbulent era in the Valley, but it could also be the spark that ignites a new chapter.

As the league braces for another seismic trade, Durant’s destination could ultimately reshape Phoenix’s future and the road to the NBA Finals in 2026.