On Sunday, the Phoenix Suns agreed to trade Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. Due to his status as one of the league’s premier talents, actively and all-time, it was a much anticipated move. Following the trade saga was like watching a golf tournament, trying to see who would get the upper hand. To that point, the Rockets obviously weren’t the only team who wanted to add Durant to their roster.
The Suns “engaged in serious talks to move Durant this week, primarily focused on the Heat, Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves,” ESPN insider Shams Charania reports. “Several other wild-card suitors emerged as well — including the Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and Denver Nuggets…”
Kevin Durant, Suns Trade Sweepstakes Had Two Surprise Suitors
Among the teams that were named, several were already known. Actually, the Rockets have been connected to Durant for months, along with the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves. This month, the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers were unmasked at the ball. The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics were also dark horse candidates.
However, neither the Cleveland Cavaliers nor Denver Nuggets had previously been suggested as buyers in the Durant sweepstakes.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Judging by the Rockets offer, the Cavaliers may have offered the Suns the combination of Darius Garland, De’Andre Hunter, a future first-round pick and multiple second-round picks. Another scenario may have seen them trying to send out Hunter, Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, a future first-rounder and additional draft compensation.
If Cleveland was able to essentially replace Hunter with Durant, they might be even better than last season. The former fourth overall pick just had a breakout season, averaging 17.0 points per game. Prior to being traded to the Cavs mid-season, he was averaging 19.0 points per game with the Atlanta Hawks. By the end of the season, he had 23 games scoring 20-plus points, with two 30-plus-point outings. Nevertheless, he’s yet to demonstrate he can consistently take over games like Durant.
The Cavs would seemingly prefer to keep Garland, an excellent table-setter and 3-point shooter. However, this summer, the two-time All-Star has been mentioned as a trade candidate for multiple teams. Furthermore, the addition of Hunter is more comparable to the Suns acquiring Dillon Brooks. While sharper than Green offensively, Garland’s defensive weaknesses are more extreme, which could put them on par with each other value-wise.
Denver Nuggets
Taking the same comparative approach to determine what the Nuggets may have offered for Durant isn’t quite as clean. Nevertheless, it’s probably fair to assume that Michael Porter Jr. is a player Denver would’ve been willing to part with. In this scenario, Porter’s more akin to Garland and Green. Though a confident career 40.6 percent 3-point shooter, his ceiling is capped by physical limitations that primarily affect him at the defensive end.
The two-way wing that’s comparable to Brooks or Hunter is Christian Braun. In 2024-25, he averaged 15.4 points per game and shot 39.7 percent from 3. However, Porter and Green’s combined 2025-26 salary ($43.2 million) is significantly lower than Durant’s ($54.7 million).
With that in mind, Russell Westbrook recently picked up his $3.5 million player option for next season. There doesn’t appear to be animosity between Durant and Westbrook. Still, their history could make for an awkward situation. Thus, he could have been included as part of the transaction, helping to make salaries match.
There would still be a $9 million gap though. This, Zeke Nnaji could balance out, as he’ll make $8.2 million next season. A 6-foot-9 hybrid big that proved to be a rotation-caliber player last season, Nnaji shot 44.0 percent from 3 after the 2025 All-Star Break.
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