The clock is ticking regarding Kevin Durant’s inevitable departure from the Phoenix Suns. Both parties have made it known that the pairing has reached its course. The two-time NBA champion has given the Suns a shortlist of preferred destinations. Those teams include the Miami Heat, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Houston Rockets. Subsequently, one NBA analyst believes one out of those three is the perfect destination for Durant.
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In an ideal world, Durant wouldn’t be on the move for his fifth team of his career. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Suns was the most disappointing of any of his other stops. The outcome remains puzzling, considering Phoenix had a surplus of talent in the form of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal alongside KD.
Former NBA stars Gilbert Arenas and Tracy McGrady both provided differentiating reasons as to why the Durant experiment in Phoenix failed.
“[Durant needs to go to] a team that actually has structure,” Arenas revealed on ESPN’s First Take. Hall-of-Fame forward Tracy McGrady didn’t focus on the organizational situation. Instead, he criticized the Suns’ poor utilization of their talent.
“I think they have the wrong coaches. When you have three of the best shooters in the league, why don’t you design an offense around three of these guys?” McGrady said.
Phoenix went through three coaches during Durant’s tenure and exhausted their strikes. The 37-year-old has plenty left in the tank but requires the perfect situation to maximize his abilities to their fullest potential.
Out of all the possible destinations for KD, Stephen A. Smith believes Durant is the missing piece for one playoff contender.
“I love Houston for him,” Smith declared. “Houston with Ime Udoka and the parts around him. You just do your job.”
McGrady resonated strongly with Smith’s response. The Rockets legend has followed the team closely and believed they were missing one key ingredient this past season. Durant’s strong suit is the perfect fitting piece to the puzzle.
“Houston’s problem in the playoffs this year was they needed a bona fide scorer,” McGrady said.
Durant has averaged over 25 points per game since his sophomore season. That level of experience and masterful scoring prowess would do wonders for the Rockets. They already have a great supporting cast they would alleviate Durant’s overall burden.
Houston is in the mix to acquire the 15-time All-Star. However, nothing is set in stone. With the 2025 NBA Draft approaching soon, Durant’s future will be determined sooner rather than later.
