Despite Trade Silence, Suns Still Favored to Land Kevin Durant
The initial flurry of reports surrounding Kevin Durant's trade request from the Brooklyn Nets have now cooled off.
News has slowed surrounding potential offers and packages Brooklyn would accept to move on from Durant, while the player himself as reportedly "gone dark" per Yahoo's Chris Haynes.
Kevin Durant Goes Dark
"Since he requested a trade, there's been numerous stars that I've spoken to, numerous stars that have been trying to get in touch with him to pick his brain to see if he would consider other avenues, just want to get a sense of what he's thinking," said Haynes.
"KD's going dark. He's not talking to anybody. Not answering anybody's phone calls, not responding to texts. The only time you see him get out into the sunlight is when he responds on Twitter, and he's not saying anything much on there."
The Nets have reportedly sought after one of the largest trade hauls in league history in return for Durant, something most teams aren't keen on giving up.
However, most prominent NBA insiders believe the Suns are still the front-runner for KD.
Insiders Believe Phoenix Suns Still Lead Race for KD
The Athletic's Shams Charania on the Pat McAfee Show: "The Phoenix Suns, from everything I've been told, are his number one destination. There's a desire to go play with Devin Booker, to go play with Chris Paul."
"Phoenix isn't only on the wish list, I'm told it's by far number one on the wish list," said ESPN's Zach Lowe during Get Up.
Lowe proposed a trade of Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Dario Saric, four first-round selections and three first-round pick swaps. Fellow NBA insider Brian Windhorst says that's just not enough to get it done in the eyes of Brooklyn.
"I don't think the Suns are offering that. They're not offering four picks and three swaps. And that is why we're talking about the gap. Even that trade isn't that great, and I don't even think the Suns are there yet because who else is offering four picks right now?," said Windhorst.
It appears we've effectively reached a stalemate for talks surrounding Durant to Phoenix. The Suns aren't wanting to "gut their team" (per John Gambadoro) and the Nets aren't wanting to budge on their asking price.
The timetable for the trade is unknown at this point in time. A trade could happen this weekend, while a few more weeks down the road wouldn't be surprising.
“So far league sources have said nothing is imminent, or even at the advanced stage," said New York Post journalist Brian Lewis.
The clock continues to tick early in the offseason, and although the Toronto Raptors have also emerged as candidates in the Durant sweepstakes, the Suns still appear to be the favorite.
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