Suns trade Kevin Durant to Rockets for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, 1st-round pick: Sources
The Phoenix Suns are trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft and five second-round picks, team sources told The Athletic.
This marks the first blockbuster trade for Phoenix general manager Brian Gregory, a former college basketball coach who was promoted to his new role as part of a front-office revamp in May. After missing the playoffs with the league's highest payroll, owner Mat Ishbia set out to establish an organizational identity focused on toughness.
Advertisement
Durant will play for his fifth team, following stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix. He has one year left on his current contract at $54.7 million, and is eligible this summer for a two-year extension worth up to $122 million. The 15-time All-Star turns 37 in September.
Durant's future in the desert became clear at this season's trade deadline. Fighting to reach .500, the underperforming Suns explored trading the superstar without informing him, something Durant did not appreciate. Over the season's final weeks, Durant seemed to accept his fate. With Phoenix lacking roster flexibility as a second-apron team, the Suns needed to reset. Trading him was their best option.
Although fans appreciated Durant's greatness, his time in Phoenix will not be remembered fondly. He and Devin Booker never became a dominant duo, nor did they replicate the chemistry displayed last summer on Team USA's gold-medal run in Paris. Adding Bradley Beal before the 2023-24 season didn't help. A three-time All-Star and high-level scorer, Beal struggled to stay healthy and find a role.
Overall, the Suns won one playoff series with Durant, a 2023 first-round series against a Los Angeles Clippers team missing key players. In 2024, the Suns were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. This season, they didn't even make the play-in tournament. The Suns had a different head coach for all three of Durant's seasons.
This will likely not be Phoenix's final move. The Suns are expected to try and part ways with Beal, but his salary (he is owed nearly $111 million over the next two seasons) and contract (he has a no-trade clause) will make that difficult. Phoenix explored moving Beal in February but never came close to making a deal.
The Suns plan to build around Booker, a four-time All-Star and the franchise's career scoring leader. Over 10 years, Booker has experienced some of the best Phoenix seasons and some of the worst. He is eligible this summer for a two-year extension worth $150 million. Booker will play next season for Jordan Ott, a first-time head coach the Suns hired this month after an extensive search.
This story will be updated.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Red Sox Receive Positive Update on Alex Bregman's Recovery
Red Sox Receive Positive Update on Alex Bregman's Recovery originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman is beginning to ramp up baseball activities as he continues recovering from a right quad strain that landed him on the injured list back on May 24. Advertisement Manager Alex Cora confirmed Friday that Bregman took swings and is scheduled to take ground balls on Saturday, marking a notable step in his rehab process. "It's Week 5. We'll reassess the situation in Week 6, and then from there, we'll probably have a better idea when he's going to come back," Cora said at Fenway Park via MassLive's Christopher Smith. Although there is still no definitive timetable for Bregman's return, Cora is encouraged by the veteran's progress. 'He's progressing very well,' he said. 'No timetable yet.' Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman looks on during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Bregman was in the midst of a stellar campaign before the injury. Over 51 games, he was slashing .299/.385/.553. He tallied 11 home runs (still third on the team) and 35 RBIs while also flashing the leather with three defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs. Advertisement Despite missing more than a month, Bregman remains a finalist in All-Star voting among American League third basemen, having made it to phase two of fan voting – another testament to his pre-injury production. Cora emphasized the importance of not rushing the 31-year-old slugger back: 'I don't think he's pushing faster than what he can. I think he's pushing because he feels good. So, we just have to be patient and be smart about it. And whenever he's ready, he's ready.' While they wait for Bregman to return, the Red Sox look to snap a six-game losing streak this weekend against the Toronto Blue Jays. Related: Former GM Blasts Red Sox's Craig Breslow After Rafael Devers Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What to expect from the Boston Celtics two second-round additions
On Thursday, June 26, the Boston Celtics struck a deal with the Orlando Magic that saw the Celtics send out the 32nd overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft in return for the 46th and 57th picks, along with a 2026 second-rounder and a 2027 second-rounder. Boston used the 46th and 57th picks to acquire Amari Williams and Max Shulga late in the second round. Both rookies are expected to spend the majority of next season with the Maine Celtics in the G League. Nevertheless, there's still a level of excitement surrounding the duo. Williams is arguably the best passing big man in his draft class, and Shulga is one of the better guard prospects in terms of multi-level scoring. Advertisement During a recent episode of the "Hold My Banner" podcast from NESN, Kasey Hudson, Annabelle Hasselbeck, and Ountae Campbell discuss Boston's decision to trade out of the 32nd pick, and what they're expecting from Boston's latest two rookies. You can watch the full video by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website: This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: What to expect from the Celtics two second-round additions
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"You don't belong in this league, Homes" - Dominique Wilkins recalls when a trash-talking Larry Bird broke his confidence before a game
"You don't belong in this league, Homes" - Dominique Wilkins recalls when a trash-talking Larry Bird broke his confidence before a game originally appeared on Basketball Network. Some moments stick like splinters. For Dominique Wilkins, one of those came early in his NBA career — a face-off with Larry Bird that left him stunned before the ball had even touched the floor. The Boston Celtics dynasty ran through Bird's hands, his mind and his mouth. The 6-foot-9 forward's game was good — a deadeye shooter, a brilliant passer and a basketball I.Q. that cut through defenses before they even set. However, he played with a quiet arrogance that only a man backing it up with three MVP awards could afford. Wilkins had been brimming with confidence when he came up against the Celtics icon. A rising star with explosive athleticism and a talent for scoring in bunches, he believed he belonged. But Bird didn't see it that way — and he let Wilkins know before the game even began. "I went out for the opening tip, and I went to shake his hand," Wilkins recalled. "He just stood there and looked at me stone-faced with his hands behind his back. I was like, 'Whoa. Then we were getting ready for the tip, and he says to me, 'You don't belong in this league, Homes." Like many others, Wilkins had heard about Bird's trash talk before, but this was something else. The way Bird combined his words was different. He had a way of dissecting his opponent, piece by piece, basket by basket. Drafted third overall in 1982 by the Utah Jazz, the Atlanta icon was quickly rerouted to the Hawks in a deal that changed the course of his career — and the organization's future. From the jump, he was a force. Explosive. Unstoppable in the open court. By his fourth season, he had already claimed a scoring title, pouring in 30.3 points per game in 1985-86. Buckets came easy for Wilkins. Baseline spins, gravity-defying dunks, pull-up jumpers from the wing — he made it all look effortless. But scoring titles weren't enough in the Eastern Conference of the 1980s. Because Bird ruled the East. He had the attitude. Bird talked. Constantly. Not the hollow noise of a player trying to psych himself up. Bird's words were sharp, pointed and devastatingly accurate. He'd call his shots before they left his hands. He'd tell defenders exactly how he planned to score, and then he'd go do it. And the worst part was that he was usually right. "Then they had the ball, and I was on him," Wilkins said. "And he said, 'I don't know why they got you guarding me, Homes. You can't guard me.' Then, whap, he hit a 3. Then he came down again and said, 'They made a mistake putting you on me, Homes,' and he took another 3." The high-flying forward was just one of many who found themselves on the receiving end. In 1987, a skinny rookie out of UCLA named Reggie Miller thought he could go toe-to-toe with him during a matchup. Miller had hit a couple of shots early and figured he'd earned the right to chirp. He started talking to Bird, feeling himself a little too much. The Boston star let it slide for a moment. Then he decided to put the rookie in his place during a free throw attempt. He coldly asked the Pacers sharpshooter who he was before proceeding to tell him that he was the "best shooter" in the league before proceeding to make both shots from the charity stripe. He humiliated Miller. Trash talk in the NBA has always been part of the game, but few mastered it the way Bird did. He wasn't just a loudmouth. He was a three-time MVP, a three-time NBA champion and one of the league's most lethal shooters. "I knew Larry Bird was good," Wilkins said. "But man, that was different. He had this way of making you question yourself." Wilkins would go on to forge his own Hall of Fame career — a nine-time All-Star, a scoring champion, and one of the most scintillating dunkers in NBA history. But Bird's cold stare and sharp words left a mark. You don't belong in this league, Homes.'" - Dominique Wilkins recalls when a trash-talking Larry Bird broke his confidence before a gameThis story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
