Insider Updates Kevin Durant, Lakers Trade Buzz

The Los Angeles Lakers will be among many teams making a push for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.

Mar 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) before the game against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns move into the final stretch of regular season games with uncertainy that extends from their postseason fate to how the roster will look over the course of the summer, most notably with eyes on the status of Kevin Durant.

Durant is expected to fetch numerous suitors after the Suns unsuccessfully dangled him in trade negotiations at the deadline. Reportedly, Durant rejected a deal that would have sent him back to the Golden State Warriors while Phoenix would have welcomed Jimmy Butler.

Durant has always been ambigous about his future in Phoenix, and with next season being the final on his deal, all expectations from the outside indicate the star forward will be dealt.

We've seen a handful of teams already emerge as potential options, though the Los Angeles Lakers were listed as a team that will pursue Durant according to Hoops Wire.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha - who covers the Lakers - gave this update on the rumors during the latest episode of his podcast:

“I have not heard anything about the Lakers being interested in Kevin Durant,” Buha said (h/t HoopsHype)

“I think that might just be a situation where someone throws the Lakers out there to get some buzz with it. “For the Lakers, a hypothetical trade for KD would have to be something like Austin [Reaves], Rui [Hachimura], Dalton [Knecht], Gabe [Vincent], Maxi [Kleber], a pick, and a couple pick swaps. That’s a lot.

"The Lakers are basically giving up everything that they could trade. For KD, you can make that case, but if you’re Phoenix, if you have an open bidding with at least multiple teams, you can get more than that.”

Durant is expected to field strong interest over the summer, and though the prospect of him teaming up with LeBron James and Luka Doncic is exciting, it just doesn't seem like a plausible outcome for either the Suns or Lakers.

You can't rule anything out in the NBA, however - as we learned from the Lakers' last trade for Doncic.