Report: Warriors Want to Trade for Suns Star

PHOENIX -- With the surprise trade this weekend that saw the Dallas Mavericks trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, anything seems possible with the NBA trade deadline now just three days away.

Even with the Phoenix Suns publicly stating their desire to keep Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, teams are still making calls on the stars. One of these teams most recently was the Golden State Warriors, who Durant won back-to-back championships and Finals MVPs with in 2017 and 2018.

According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel:

"Lots to unpack with the Warriors, who attempted to make some big swings over the last 72 hours.

"Not only did they call the Suns last week about Kevin Durant, but they also held deep talks with the Bulls about (Zach) LaVine AND (Nikola Vucevic).

"Everything then shifted to Butler, which fell apart."

Lots to unpack with the Warriors, who attempted to make some big swings over the last 72 hours.

Not only did they call the Suns last week about Kevin Durant, but they also held deep talks with the Bulls about LaVine AND Vuc.

Everything then shifted to Butler, which fell apart.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) February 3, 2025

Siegel's report came immediately after ESPN's Brian Windhoest reported on X "The Heat’s Jimmy Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there & therefore trade talks to send him to Golden State have ended for now, sources told ESPN."

Windhorst's report followed a massive trade that saw De'Aaron Fox end up with the San Antonio Spurs and Zach LaVine with the Sacramento Kings, meaning the Warriors missed out LaVine.

Golden State is widely expected to make some sort of move, especially after coach Steve Kerr said "We're not in a position where we can just say, 'no, we're good. Let's stand pat'" before Friday's loss to the Suns.

The Stein Line's Jake Fischer wrote that the Warriors are indeed trying to acquire Durant, along with LeBron James.

"Sources say the most ambitious idea being tossed around among Golden State's decision-makers: Is there any feasible pathway for the Warriors to pull off the dreamiest of outcomes and find a way to bring both James and Durant to The Bay?

"That would require quite the masterstroke. And while pulling that off currently stands as very unlikely, both from a salary-matching and asset valuation standpoint, this is the sort of big-game hunting that has defined these Warriors. From their original Durant free agency thunderbolt in 2016 … to last trade deadline's inquiries about James … to this past offseason's aggressive pursuits of both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen and, at times, trying to acquire both of them.

"The path to Durant alone does seem plausible. Phoenix, entering Monday's business, continued to signal that it does not plan to move Durant before the deadline, sources said, but the Suns are believed to be listening at the very least to various teams' pitches for the 35-year-old scoring legend. Durant, meanwhile, is said to be aware of all this.

"The Suns, mind you, are expected to maintain a very high asking price before they ever agreed to part ways with him. We're talking serious draft capital and highly rated young talent. The Suns do have a level of interest in Jonathan Kuminga, sources said.

"Why is Phoenix even listening on Durant? The 25-23 Suns simply aren't in position not to — especially after this Dončić drama. Among the very real domino effects stemming from San Antonio's acquisition of Fox: The Spurs just got a whole lot better and more competitive and became an even stronger challenger to swipe one of the Western Conference's coveted Play-In Tournament spots from the teams with playoff aspirations (Phoenix, Golden State, Sacramento and Dallas) currently stuck in that range."

Additionally, this Butler report essentially means the Suns are the only team in the race for Butler, but still need a third or fourth team willing to take on Bradley Beal. To this note, Fischer wrote:

"It's become quite evident that the Suns — despite all the digital ink spilled on their weekslong interest in Jimmy Butler — still have no path to acquiring Butler by involving Beal thanks to that pesky no-trade clause. The unrelenting word continues to be that Beal has no desire to bless a trade pretty much anywhere and prefers to remain in Phoenix, where his family has been settling after finally leaving the nation's capital.

"Thus the only mechanisms for the Suns to land Butler, where the six-time NBA All-Star would be expected to land a lucrative contract extension, would appear to require Phoenix to trade Durant or Devin Booker to make that a reality."

Following the Doncic trade over the weekend, PHNX's Gerald Bourguet said that Durant and Booker seem to be safe from trade talks:

"Last night’s Luka Doncic trade proves how fast things can change. The Suns know this team isn’t good enough and they have to get better in the short-term and long-term. But for those worried, according to a source, the plan is still to build around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant

"Probably not a surprise to many of you, but I know there’s been a lot of talk about blowing it up and Luka getting traded proves no one is untouchable. But neither of those guys are being shopped right now, even as the Suns consider multiple trade options"

Probably not a surprise to many of you, but I know there’s been a lot of talk about blowing it up and Luka getting traded proves no one is untouchable. But neither of those guys are being shopped right now, even as the Suns consider multiple trade options
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) February 2, 2025

Buckle up for what could be a very hectic next few days across the NBA.