Rumor: Suns' Asking Price for Kevin Durant Revealed

PHOENIX -- What has been an equally fascinating and maddening week for fans of the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat has been magnified even more in the last few days.

Miami-based media tycoon Dan Le Batard relayed what he had heard from members of the Heat - and the asking price that Phoenix had in trade discussions involving Kevin Durant was truly shocking.

"The ask was, according to the people I talked to, our entire team. It wasn't Jaquez and Ware. It was 'they wanted our whole team.'"

This report goes far beyond what some believed the framework of a trade between Phoenix and Miami. Most mock trades involved Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Nikola Jovic, and Jimmy Butler.

That package is substantial to begin with, but demanding Bam Adebayo, draft picks, and possibly even more of the Miami roster on top of what possibly was discussed is an absolute king's ransom - even for one of the greatest players to ever play in the NBA.

Durant had previously been linked to Miami in the summer of 2022 as an alternate to his preferred destination - which was Phoenix.

The Suns, Heat, and Golden State Warriors were reportedly very close to a trade that would have sent Durant to the Warriors prior to the deal falling apart - the dialogue between Phoenix/Miami was presumably the fallout from those discussions.

If this report is true, it can certainly be interpreted that the Suns weren't truly serious about unloading Durant and were solely doing due diligence through the process.

Ware, Jaquez, Jovic, and Butler would have been a phenomenal haul for Phoenix if a deal were to get done, but it's liklely that no one regrets failing to move a player that is about to become one of eight in NBA history to score 30,000 points in a career.

Durant will return to play tonight after missing a week due to an ankle sprain - he will continue his Suns career for at least a few more months after being honest about the rumors post-practice on Monday.