Latest Kevin Durant Update Officially Leaves Pistons Out

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The Kevin Durant trade saga could be nearing the end. While select analysts and fans dreamed of a Cade Cunningham-KD pairing on the Detroit Pistons, the star forward doesn’t have Michigan on his mind.
According to The Athletic, Durant has two preferred trade destinations. The San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets.
JUST IN: Kevin Durant has two preferred trade destinations, league sources tell The Athletic.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 15, 2025
◽️ San Antonio Spurs
◽️ Houston Rockets pic.twitter.com/pJYAQb5lvd
Durant’s rumored desire to land with the Spurs or the Rockets doesn’t come as a surprise. Since the Phoenix Suns have been rumored to be shopping Durant around, San Antonio and Houston were two teams commonly linked to the seasoned veteran.
As for the Pistons, they weren’t mentioned in the Durant market outside of some trade suggestions.
For Detroit, remaining patient and banking on the development of their homegrown players seems to be the best path forward for now. With the recent emergence of Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey, and Ausar Thompson, the Pistons believe they could be building something strong with Cade Cunningham’s supporting cast.
Of course, acquiring a player like Durant would’ve offered Cunningham the best running mate of his career, but it would’ve cost the Pistons assets and high-upside players to land the $54 million man for one season.
While Trajan Langdon doesn’t seem to be into star hunting, the Pistons have been linked to a few notable front-court players as of late. It’s been reported that the Pistons are interested in Indiana’s Myles Turner, Minnesota’s Naz Reid, and Memphis’ Santi Aldama.
Durant could bring the stretch-four skill set the Pistons seem to be keeping an eye on, but the 37-year-old isn’t an option at this point.
Soon, the NBA could see its biggest trade since the Luka Doncic blockbuster back before the trade deadline. If and when Durant changes teams, he would be joining his fifth organization. He would wrap up a three-year run in Phoenix, where he averaged 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
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Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia
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