<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-rumors-kevin-durant-new-contract-return-possible-amid-trade-speculation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns rumors: Kevin Durant new contract and return still possible amid trade speculation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Kevin-Durant-new-contract-and-return-still-possible-amid-trade-speculation.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns rumors: Kevin Durant new contract and return still possible amid trade speculation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T11:15:36-07:00">April 1st, 11:15am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T11:15:36-07:00">April 1st, 11:15am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before the 2024-25 season began, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-prepared-to-wait-in-order-to-sign-123-8-million-contract">Kevin Durant didn’t sign a contract extension with the Phoenix Suns</a>. This worried some, as they thought he was done with the team.</p><p>Although Durant wanted a longer-term deal, the team didn’t make this season any easier. They offered him a deal that would’ve sent him back to the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>As a result, the Suns All-Star denied the request, and it left a sour taste in his mouth. Despite Durant still being the leading scorer, he might’ve made up his mind on whether he wants to stay in Phoenix or not.</p><p>Logan Murdock of The Ringer detailed that Durant <a href="https://www.theringer.com/2025/04/01/nba/phoenix-suns-devin-booker-kevin-durant-payroll-standings" rel="noopener">would be open</a> for a return. Not to mention, Devin Booker elaborated more on a potential reunion with the leading scorer.</p><p>“Hell yeah, I want to play alongside him,” Booker says. “The team’s been in a tough situation. So, that’s the NBA today. I think K understands the business too, that when things aren’t going the right way, people are going to explore options.</p><p>“I don’t know how serious it was, but we moved past it. You see his morale, you see how he feels about the city.”</p><h2><b>Kevin Durant could re-sign with the Suns</b></h2><p>Even though Durant seems disgruntled with the team, the possibility of re-signing could open up other windows. After all, the team has been excellent with the superstar on the floor.</p><p>However, when Bradley Beal is thrown into the mix, it’s <a href="https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/kevin-garnett/3573858/" rel="noopener">turned the offense into a clutter</a>. Not that Beal is a bad player by any means. Rather, he doesn’t fit with the Suns offensive system.</p><p>It didn’t fit with Frank Vogel, and it isn’t fitting with Mike Budenholzer. Safe to say though, that Durant’s view of the city is one of the better ones he’s had.</p><p>Playing alongside Booker is enough reason to stay. The two have been dynamic when together on the floor. However, Booker has deferred a bit too much on his fellow superstar.</p><p>While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durant-reaction-30000-point-milestone">Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history</a>, it’s come at the expense of Booker’s aggressiveness. He hasn’t been as willing to attack mismatches or take over a game.</p><p>Booker has taken over a game without Durant. Still, finding that balance with Durant could be key. Either way, Durant might be back in Phoenix, to people’s surprise.</p><p>At the end of the day, Durant would have unfinished business if he were to re-sign. Championship aspirations were the goal, and advancing those could be of interest to him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns rumors: Kevin Durant new contract and return still possible amid trade speculation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/san-antonio-spurs/nba-rumors-could-spurs-pull-off-kevin-durant-trade-heist-with-suns');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Could Spurs pull off Kevin Durant trade heist with Suns?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Could-Spurs-pull-off-Kevin-Durant-trade-heist-with-Suns.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Could Spurs pull off Kevin Durant trade heist with Suns?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-28T12:05:56-07:00">March 28th, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-28T12:05:56-07:00">March 28th, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Randall Barnes</a>Randall Barnes is a Fall 2019 Graduate of Fort Valley State University, an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Fort Valley, Georgia, where he majored in Media Studies. He is the Founder of HBCU Pulse, a multimedia outlet with the mission to tell the authentic stories of HBCU Life via traditional, digital and social media outlets to amplify our voice. He is also the host of HBCU Pulse Radio, which can be heard on SiriusXM Channel 142 HBCU Fridays at 5 p.m. EST and wherever you get your podcasts.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even during an insane NBA trade deadline that saw a few of the NBA’s biggest stars on the move, Kevin Durant stayed put with the Phoenix Suns. Although it appeared that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/suns-news-kevin-durant-sets-record-straight-warriors-trade">Durant was headed towards a reunion with the Golden State Warriors</a>, the two-time NBA Champion remained with the Suns as the team hunts for a playoff spot amid a season that has underperformed expectations thus far.</p><p>But, per ClutchPoints Senior NBA Insider Brett Siegel, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/how-nba-new-208-million-second-apron-impacts-trades-free-agency-siegels-scoop">San Antonio Spurs should be viewed as a dark-horse suitor for Durant</a>, given the assets that they have on their roster.</p><p>“One dark-horse team worth mentioning in connection to Durant is the San Antonio Spurs. After just making a big move to pair De’Aaron Fox with Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are poised to make even more moves this offseason. Devin Vassell is a young talent who has come up in early conversations about possible trade candidates around the NBA this offseason, and there is a lot to like about the 24-year-old wing. He will be entering Year 2 of a five-year extension he signed with San Antonio that sits below $30 million per season. The only reason Vassell has yet to break out for the Spurs is due to multiple injury concerns over the last two years,” Siegel said in his latest “Siegel Report”.</p><p>Sigel also mentioned that Barnes could be a potential piece in a blockbuster trade of this magnitude, <a href="https://x.com/BobbyMarks42/status/1904581353347096647" rel="noopener">which could result</a> in the second time that Barnes &amp; Durant are indirectly linked in a off-season transaction.</p><p>“Veteran forward Harrison Barnes will also be entering the final year of his contract and making $19 million next season, making him a means for the Spurs possibly finding other upgrades as well. Barnes is a well-respected member of the organization who has been valued for leadership and accountability in the locker room this season.”</p><p>If the Spurs were able to land Durant, it could shake the NBA landscape. The former MVP is still performing at an All-NBA level, averaging 26.9 points per game while shooting 53% from the field and 43% from three. His addition to the team could form a formidable tandem between him, De’Aaron Fox, and Victor Wembanyama that would automatically make them contenders in the west with only a few teams in the entire league able to match their versatility and firepower.</p><p>But, as of now, Durant continues to help the Suns fight for playoff positioning as the season draws to a close. But, the offseason could very well be interesting as his future continues to come into focus.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Could Spurs pull off Kevin Durant trade heist with Suns?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-insider-ideal-kevin-durant-devin-booker-trade-returns');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Insider reveals Suns’ ‘ideal’ Kevin Durant, Devin Booker trade returns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Insider-reveals-Suns-ideal-Kevin-Durant-Devin-Booker-trade-returns.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Insider reveals Suns’ ‘ideal’ Kevin Durant, Devin Booker trade returns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-11T09:54:00-07:00">March 11th, 9:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-11T09:54:00-07:00">March 11th, 9:54am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-rumors-suns-will-trade-kevin-durant-this-summer-per-nba-insider">Phoenix Suns All-Star Kevin Durant has been floated in trade rumors</a>. Before the NBA trade deadline, he was nearly dealt to the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>Simultaneously, Devin Booker was also entertained by some other teams. Despite the Suns saying that they will not trade Booker, nothing is off of the table.</p><p>In a report via Duane Rankin of AZCentral (Arizona Republic), he detailed <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2025/03/08/kevin-durant-era-over-phoenix-suns-jimmy-butler-bradley-beal-oklahoma-city-thunder-houston-rockets/81445161007/" rel="noopener">what the team could get</a> from trading either Durant or Booker.</p><p>“Sources informed The Republic the most ideal return on a Durant trade is regaining three first-round picks and a young player as part of a multi-team deal tied to getting under the second apron,” Rankin said.</p><p>“Sources informed The Republic the Suns could probably get four first-round picks for Booker and a rising star in his third or fourth year.”</p><p>Considering how this season has gone, the Suns will try anything to salvage it. The furthest the team went with Durant was the second round. Even then, they lost to the Denver Nuggets, who ended up winning the Finals that year.</p><h2><b>The Suns could trade Kevin Durant or Devin Booker</b></h2><p>Even with Durant being the superstar that he is, the franchise has made it clear that this is Booker’s team. He was drafted in 2015 and helped them reach the 2021 NBA Finals.</p><p>While they lost in six games, Booker proved he belonged on the national stage. Since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kevin-durant-trade-winners-loser-suns-nets-blockbuster-deadline">Suns made the blockbuster trade for Durant</a>, it hasn’t been worth it.</p><p>They gave up four first-round picks, along with Mikal Bridges, and Cam Johnson. Although the trade was worth it, the production hasn’t been.</p><p>Not to mention, Phoenix traded for Bradley Beal after the 2022-23 season. The Big 3 experiment hasn’t worked, mostly due to injury. Still, it only dampens the Suns’ future.</p><p>Rankin also mentioned a possible trade scenario for Durant, following the Suns’ pursuits of Jimmy Butler during the season.</p><p>“Considering they had such a high interest in Butler — and the Warriors still having enough of a love for Durant to pursue him — a league source floated an idea to The Republic having the Suns trade Durant for Butler in the summer,” Rankin said.</p><p>Either way, the franchise will have to make some necessary. If they <a href="https://arizonasports.com/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-play-in-tracker/3576222/" rel="noopener">don’t squeak into the play-in tournament</a>, this season could go down as one of the biggest busts in league history.</p><p>If that’s the case, it might only be a matter of time before the Suns front office wants to put an offer on the table.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Insider reveals Suns’ ‘ideal’ Kevin Durant, Devin Booker trade returns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-rumors-marc-stein-dumps-cold-water-kevin-durant-trade-pursuit');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mavericks rumors: Marc Stein dumps cold water on Kevin Durant trade pursuit');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Marc-Stein-dumps-cold-water-on-Kevin-Durant-trade-pursuit.jpg"></figure><h1>Mavericks rumors: Marc Stein dumps cold water on Kevin Durant trade pursuit</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-10T15:26:53-07:00">March 10th, 3:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-10T15:27:14-07:00">March 10th, 3:27pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (30-34) are battling the Dallas Mavericks (32-33) in the Western Conference standings, but could the superstar forward actually join forces with the team he is currently chasing? When Durant trade rumors first started swirling ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline, the Mavs quickly emerged as a possible landing spot. <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/monday-best-around-the-nba-trade?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=158783979&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">That might not actually be the case</a>, however.</p><p>“Dallas has been repeatedly described as a potential Durant suitor, before the deadline and since, but I continue to hear that reports of its interest have been overstated,” NBA correspondent Marc Stein reported on his substack. “The Mavericks, based on my best read, are not currently planning for a three-star construction.</p><p>“Securing Irving’s future as their backcourt anchor after stunningly surrendering Luka is a priority — Irving holds a $44 million player option for next season — and it is likewise obvious that Dallas would have to gut its depth to make a competitive trade offer for Durant.”</p><h2><b>The stars might not align for Kevin Durant and Mavericks</b></h2><p>Starting in 2027, the Mavericks will not have control over their own first-rounder for four straight years. Therefore, they likely lack the resources to pull off a Durant blockbuster. Despite recent reports, it is not certain if the all-time great scorer would be interested in going to Dallas. Leaving one murky situation for another might not be an ideal move for a 36-year-old. If Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving are healthy, the Mavs’ roster is dangerous, but that is a colossal “if.”</p><p>Durant already tried to form a super squad with Irving, and it ended on a rather turbulent note when the latter abruptly requested a trade. Both men have matured since their Brooklyn Nets days, though, which admittedly was not that long ago. They also might want to finish what they started, as people sometimes forget just how close they were to vanquishing the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.</p><p>There is also a world in which the Suns snatch 10th place from the Mavericks, carry themselves respectably in the playoffs and reaffirm their commitment to Kevin Durant. Such a scenario is still hard to envision at the moment, but the fog could clear if Phoenix starts to play closer to its talent level. The team has taxing road matchups against the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets on Monday and Wednesday, respectively. Focus will be on finding a way to steal at least one win before returning to the Footprint Center at the end of the week.</p><p>Dallas, on the other hand, cannot afford to look into the future, no matter how much it wishes to escape the present. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-jason-kidd-unprecedented-injury-situation-suns">The absurdly shorthanded squad</a> must dig deep if it is going to have any chance of playing postseason basketball this year. Back-to-back games at the San Antonio Spurs awaits.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mavericks rumors: Marc Stein dumps cold water on Kevin Durant trade pursuit

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-mike-budenholzer-suns-job-security-questioned');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Mike Budenholzer’s Suns job security ‘questioned’ around league');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Mike-Budenholzers-Suns-job-securityquestioned-around-league.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Mike Budenholzer’s Suns job security ‘questioned’ around league</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T06:55:28-08:00">March 3rd, 6:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T06:55:28-08:00">March 3rd, 6:55am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns have been disappointing, and the majority of the blame has been placed on head coach Mike Budenholzer in recent weeks. The constant lineup changes, rotations, and other things haven’t resulted in success.</p><p>Even though when the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-phoenix-hiring-mike-budenholzer-to-8-figure-annual-contract-right-after-firing-frank-vogel">Suns hired Budenholzer</a>, he was supposed to be the franchise’s savior. It’s been anything but. Although the team is more constructed from an offensive perspective, the results haven’t been there.</p><p>The Suns are 28-32 and inching closer to not reaching the play-in tournament. They trail the Sacramento Kings in the standings for the final spot. If things don’t turn around, the <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nearly-a-month-removed-from-the-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=158244571&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">head coach’s job could be on the line</a>, according to NBA insider Marc Stein.</p><p>One of the glaring discrepancies is the defense. While former head coach Frank Vogel was a defensive coach and Budenholzer is offensively sound, it’s been more of the same.</p><p>The personnel matches Budenholzer’s system better but some of the problems are more foundational. There appears to be a lack of communication from the team.</p><p>Funny enough, an NBA rumor suggested that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-devin-bookers-shocked-reaction-to-one-on-one-message-from-mike-budenholzer">Budenholzer told Suns star Devin Booker to tone it down vocally</a>. While the latter dismissed the rumor, his energy has shifted periodically throughout the games.</p><p>Telling that to the franchise player isn’t a good look. Not to mention, normally it’s the other way around. Coaches tell players to speak up more, not to dial it back.</p><h2><b>Mike Budenholzer’s job with the Suns could end soon</b></h2><p>The beginning of the end appears to be in sight for Budenholzer. Despite winning a title with the Milwaukee Bucks only four seasons ago, that same production isn’t there.</p><p>If Budenholzer were to be fired, it would be the third head coach fired within three seasons. Unfortunately for Booker, he’s been through this process before.</p><p>However, the majority of the head coaches fired were for their record. They weren’t fired solely because of relationships within the team. For Budenholzer however, it’s a mix of both.</p><p>Most notably, Phoenix <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/42279948/torrid-suns-keep-things-interesting-mavs-move-8-1" rel="noopener">started the season with an 8-1 record</a>. He seemed to have it all figured out with the Suns Big 3. Once Kevin Durant was injured though, things quickly changed.</p><p>As a result, the tumultuous nature of the season kicked in. The opportunity to trade for Jimmy Butler resulted in Bradley Beal being benched, and then starting once again.</p><p>Unless a drastic change happens soon involving the team’s record, the hometown guy could be a one-and-done in Phoenix. If that’s the case, the franchise will need to do some extensive thinking about who to hire next.</p><p>For now, the goal is securing a play-in spot and trying to climb up from there.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Mike Budenholzer’s Suns job security ‘questioned’ around league

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/nba-rumors-wizards-gave-real-consideration-bradley-beal-reunion-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Wizards gave ‘real consideration’ to Bradley Beal reunion at trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NBA-rumors-Wizards-gave-real-consideration-to-Bradley-Beal-reunion-at-trade-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Wizards gave ‘real consideration’ to Bradley Beal reunion at trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-03T06:41:08-08:00">March 3rd, 6:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T06:41:08-08:00">March 3rd, 6:41am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s been just over a year and a half since the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/why-wizards-were-ultimate-winners-bradley-beal-trade-suns">Phoenix Suns gave the Washington Wizards a metaphorical <i>Get Out of Jail Free </i>card</a>, taking on the majority of Bradley Beal’s quarter-<i>billion </i>dollar contract in exchange for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/warriors-news-chris-paul-jordan-poole-trade-draws-strong-take-from-mike-dunleavy-jr">Chris Paul — who was traded to Golden State just 12 days later</a> — Landry Shamet, and whopping ten picks swaps between 2023 and 2030. But apparently, as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, because at the trade deadline, it turns out the Wizards were sniffing around about potentially <a href="https://marcstein.substack.com/p/nearly-a-month-removed-from-the-nba?utm_source=post-email-title&amp;publication_id=392205&amp;post_id=158244571&amp;utm_campaign=email-post-title&amp;isFreemail=false&amp;r=39f60&amp;triedRedirect=true&amp;utm_medium=email" rel="noopener">re-acquiring their former star</a>.</p><p>“It turns out that the Washington Wizards, stunning as it sounds, gave real consideration to bringing Beal to the nation’s capital. The Wizards, of course, are the team that gave Beal that monster five-year, $251 million contract adorned with a full no-trade clause in the first place,” writes longtime NBA insider Marc Stein. “While there continues to be no indication that Beal would have blessed such a trade to go through, league sources say Washington gave the concept legitimate contemplation.”</p><p>At first glance, the idea of bringing Bradley Beal back to D.C. might seem like a curious one. The Wizards have no present worth talking about, and a future that isn’t particularly bright, but there is no reason for Washington to be inclined to want to re-live their very modest past either. Then again, any team willing to saddle themselves with Beal’s monstrosity of a contract would be given a decent amount of draft compensation to take on that kind of money. And that, for the Wizards, could’ve been intriguing.</p><p>“The extent of the draft compensation sweeteners that would have been furnished to the Wizards as inducement for reacquiring Beal — had the talks gained any real traction — is not precisely known,” Stein stated.</p><p>Talks never got that far. Stein and others have reported that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/suns-news-bradley-beals-agent-drops-honest-admission-on-trade-rumors">Beal never considered waving his no-trade clause</a> at any point leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline, which not only ensured that Beal would remain in Phoenix, but it also almost guaranteed that the Suns would be unable to make a meaningful trade to upgrade their roster in what is increasingly looking like a lost season.</p><p>Had Beal returned to Washington, or if that ever comes to be down the road, he <i>is </i>only 160 points behind Elvin Hayes as the leading scorer in franchise history. Whether that means anything to Beal, whose basketball intentions have been called into question going back to his time in Washington, is unclear.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Wizards gave ‘real consideration’ to Bradley Beal reunion at trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-suns-to-work-on-potential-trade-after-2024-25-nba-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Kevin Durant, Suns to work on potential trade after 2024-25 NBA season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Kevin-Durant-Suns-to-work-on-potential-trade-after-2024-25-NBA-season.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Kevin Durant, Suns to work on potential trade after 2024-25 NBA season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-02T19:14:17-08:00">March 2nd, 7:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-03T07:05:19-08:00">March 3rd, 7:05am</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This is not how the Phoenix Suns envisioned things would go for them when they pulled off a blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant in 2023. In Durant’s second full season in the Valley, the Suns are on the outside looking in on the play-in tournament picture, as they currently have a 28-32 record, which has them at the 11th spot in the conference. And it looks like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durant-staying-put-trade-deadline-jimmy-butler">wholesale changes will be coming for the Suns</a> if they don’t find a way to make it to this year’s playoffs.</p><p>According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Suns <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1896347398936641616" rel="noopener">will be looking</a> into potential trades for Durant should they continue to fall off the pace in the Western Conference’s ever-competitive playoff race.</p><p>“Unless there is a significant run here into the playoffs for the Phoenix Suns, league sources believe that there will be real changes coming to the Suns. From a roster standpoint, that likely starts with Kevin Durant,” Charania said on Sunday’s ESPN NBA Countdown. “This offseason, from my understanding, what it would look like is that the Suns and Durant will work together on any potential trade to a contender.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reporting for ESPN NBA Countdown on the Suns, Kevin Durant and what’s at stake: <a href="https://t.co/69UeeowSOP">pic.twitter.com/69UeeowSOP</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1896347398936641616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>There was a chance that Durant could have been traded away by the Suns prior to this year’s trade deadline, but the 36-year-old star showed no willingness to give up on his situation in the Valley just yet. But if nothing changes regarding the Suns’ fortunes, then there will be many teams hot on Durant’s tail.</p><p>“I would expect four to six contending teams with some serious involvement in Durant. He’s still playing at a really high level. He’s extension-eligible in the offseason too,” Charania added.</p><p>While Charania didn’t mention any specific teams, expect the Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Memphis Grizzlies, and the Miami Heat, among others, to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/nba-rumors-timberwolves-kevin-durant-trade-pursuit-deadline">express significant interest in a Durant trade</a>.</p><h2><b>Suns emerge as cautionary tale in rushed roster-building</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-Big-3-of-Durant-Beal-Booker.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>To start the 2020s, the Suns were on the rise; they drafted well, building a core led by Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Deandre Ayton, and Cam Johnson which was then supplemented by the veteran additions of Chris Paul and Jae Crowder. They made it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2021 and had the best record in the league in 2022.</p><p>The Suns then decided to go all-in, stripping the team of its depth by bringing Kevin Durant in. And they did not stop there; they traded Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen, requiring the team to part ways with a first-round pick to get rid of the latter down the line, and then they traded Paul for Bradley Beal — saddling the franchise with arguably the worst contract in the NBA. And now, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durant-nature-beast-amid-rocky-season">Suns are paying the price for their impatience</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Kevin Durant, Suns to work on potential trade after 2024-25 NBA season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-devin-bookers-shocked-reaction-to-one-on-one-message-from-mike-budenholzer');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Devin Booker’s ‘shocked’ reaction to one-on-one message from Mike Budenholzer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Devin-Bookers-shocked-reaction-to-one-on-one-message-from-Mike-Budenholzer.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Devin Booker’s ‘shocked’ reaction to one-on-one message from Mike Budenholzer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-28T09:27:32-08:00">February 28th, 9:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-28T10:45:27-08:00">February 28th, 10:45am</time><address><a>Zachary Weinberger</a>Zachary Weinberger joined ClutchPoints in October 2023 as a Miami Heat reporter as well as an Associate Editor. He graduated from Florida Atlantic University in 2022 after covering the school's athletic programs since his freshman year at the FAU University Press, where he was a Sports Editor and Editor-in-Chief. He then covered FAU Sports for The Palm Beach Post.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-mike-budenholzer-brutally-honest-downward-spiral">Phoenix Suns are in a downward spiral,</a> the latest report from NBA insider Chris Haynes adds on to the chaos, which is in regards to star Devin Booker and head coach Mike Budenholzer. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-devin-booker-cryptic-message-3-game-skid">Booker had a cryptic message after the Suns</a> lost three straight, he reportedly was asked weeks ago by Budenholzer to “tone it down vocally,” leaving the guard<a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1895520448131318005" rel="noopener"> “shocked.”</a></p><p>“Sources: Weeks ago Suns coach Mike Budenholzer called a meeting with Devin Booker imploring he tone it down vocally, leaving the star shocked,” Haynes wrote on his X, formerly Twitter, account. “Inside that meeting which provides context to Booker’s postgame remarks on communicating.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sources: Weeks ago Suns coach Mike Budenholzer called a meeting with Devin Booker imploring he tone it down vocally, leaving the star shocked. Inside that meeting which provides context to Booker’s postgame remarks on communicating. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/haynesbriefs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#haynesbriefs</a></p><p>Brought to you by <a href="https://twitter.com/MoveInsoles?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MoveInsoles</a> <a href="https://t.co/sVlTWB4Mrh">pic.twitter.com/sVlTWB4Mrh</a></p><p>— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1895520448131318005?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>In Haynes’ brief about the report, he mentioned how Budenholzer had Booker go to his office and “issue a complaint” that he was “being too vocal” whether it be on the court or during timeouts. This was in an effort so that the “coach’s voice can be heard” as Phoenix has lost 10 of their last 12 games.</p><p>“I was told that weeks ago, Mike Budenholzer called his star guard Devin Booker into his office to issue a complaint,” Haynes said. “And that complaint, I’m told, was that Booker was being too vocal on the court and during timeout huddles. He implored his star guard to tone it down, to allow for the coach’s voice to be heard.</p><p>“This completely shocked Booker, I was told. Now after the [Suns] lost Thursday to the Pelicans, which saw them lose their 10th game in the last 12, Booker spoke publicly about how the lack of communication is hurting the team.”</p><h2><b>Suns’ Devin Booker says the team has ‘got to draw a line’</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Devin-Booker-on-Feb.-27-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There is no doubt that the team is in a negative place as even star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durant-pissed-admission-pelicans-loss">Kevin Durant mentioned how the Suns are “pissed off”</a> by their string of performances. When Booker spoke after the latest loss to the Pelicans, he spoke about how there needs to be “a little bit more talking” and how at some point “you got to draw a line.”</p><p>“It could be fixed with just a little bit more talking,” Booker said. “Things get tough, we get quiet as a team. And you know, from my experience and what I’ve seen, you know, that’s not the way to get through.</p><p>“No skipping over the details, and, you know, always taking the ‘get them next game’ mentality at some point. You got to draw a line and should have been drawn a long time ago, you know.”</p><p>“I’d rather two people say the wrong thing to each other out there than nobody talk at all and leave the gray area, you know,” Booker continued. “So it’s like any job or any group project that you do, you have to do it together. Yeah, I always look at myself first, but I also talk a lot.”</p><p>At any rate, Phoenix is 27-32, which puts them 11th in the Western Conference as they next face the Pelicans on Friday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Devin Booker’s ‘shocked’ reaction to one-on-one message from Mike Budenholzer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-suns-will-trade-kevin-durant-this-summer-per-nba-insider');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Suns will trade Kevin Durant this summer, per NBA insider');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-will-trade-Kevin-Durant-this-summer-per-NBA-insider.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Suns will trade Kevin Durant this summer, per NBA insider</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-26T14:52:15-08:00">February 26th, 2:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-26T14:53:21-08:00">February 26th, 2:53pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Phoenix Suns will trade Kevin Durant this summer. During Wednesday’s broadcast of NBA Today, Windhorst made a <a href="https://x.com/espnnba/status/1894848280904847712" rel="noopener">bold claim</a> about the star forward’s future in Phoenix.</p><p>“They’re gonna trade [KD] him, and he knows that,” Windhorst said.</p><p>He elaborated further, emphasizing Durant’s professionalism despite ongoing speculation.</p><p>“There’s been a couple of opportunities where he could’ve criticized them or [been upset about] trying to trade him – he’s not done that. He’s been very professional about this, and I expect that to continue throughout the rest of the regular season. He’s going to try to win every game he’s out there, and then in the offseason, he sorta gave himself an ad there… ‘Whatever team gets me, you know I’m gonna make a difference, I’m still in my prime.’ I think he’s handled this very appropriately,” Windhorst said.</p><p>Windhorst also noted that the Golden State Warriors had interest in Durant before the trade deadline, though he ultimately declined a return.</p><p>“I know the Warriors wanted him, it didn’t work out, he said he didn’t want to be there – Warriors are doing great too. They’re doing just fine. KD set himself up for his last act – I think everybody’s intentions are crystal clear here.”</p><h2><b>Suns’ struggles fuel speculation about Kevin Durant’s future amid trade rumors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kevin-Durant-35-handles-the-ball-as-Memphis-Grizzlies-guard-Desmond-Bane-22.jpg"><figcaption>© Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Suns have struggled this season and currently sit outside the Western Conference play-in picture. After a 151-148 overtime <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durant-wild-nsfw-rant-over-hate-from-nba-fans">loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night, Phoenix dropped to 27-31</a>, ranking 11th in the standings. The team is now 2.5 games behind the Sacramento Kings (29-28) for the final play-in spot.</p><p>Despite the team’s struggles, Durant has maintained elite production in his 17th NBA season. The 36-year-old forward is averaging 26.9 points, six rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 53% from the field and 40.2% from three. Durant remains under contract in the third year of a four-year, $194.2 million deal he signed with the Brooklyn Nets and will earn $54.7 million next season.</p><p>Durant’s name surfaced in trade rumors leading up to this season’s trade deadline, with the Miami Heat and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/sources-warriors-extensive-conversations-kevin-durant-suns-trade">Golden State Warriors reportedly among the teams interested</a>. After the deadline passed, reports suggested that the D<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/nba-rumors-mavericks-rockets-viewed-as-kevin-durant-offseason-trade-suitors">allas Mavericks and Houston Rockets could emerge as serious suitors for Durant this offseason</a>.</p><p>With Phoenix underachieving and roster questions looming, speculation around Durant’s future will intensify in the coming months.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Suns will trade Kevin Durant this summer, per NBA insider

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/phoenix-suns/nba-rumors-rival-exec-thinks-suns-cant-stand-being-around-each-other');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Rival exec thinks Suns ‘can’t stand being around each other’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Rival-exec-thinks-Suns-cant-stand-being-around-each-other.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Rival exec thinks Suns ‘can’t stand being around each other’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-24T13:19:04-08:00">February 24th, 1:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-24T13:31:31-08:00">February 24th, 1:31pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Unfortunately for the Phoenix Suns, they continue to find themselves in plenty of NBA rumors. For instance, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-bill-simmons-alarming-kevin-durant-courtside-behavior">Bill Simmons explained Kevin Durant’s alarming behavior during the Suns loss</a> on Thursday. Although that could be a spur of the moment, plenty of executives don’t feel that they.</p><p>They feel this has been coming for quite some time. In a new ESPN report, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/43982299/nba-insiders-luka-lebron-fit-cavs-celtics-series-more" rel="noopener">dozens of executives</a> around the league have made their voices known.</p><p>“Phoenix, which is wild to say,” a West exec said. “They look like they can’t stand being around each other.” Things haven’t gone well for the Suns, to say the least. They are in the second tax apron, have a 27-30 record, and have likely infuriated their superstar in Durant.</p><p>The team put him into a possible trade scenario without letting him know. Although the Suns mentioned they would explore all options, putting his name in a trade was not mentioned. Despite the move, many thought that after the All-Star break, Phoenix would get it together.</p><p>After a loss against the San Antonio Spurs, they convincingly won against the Chicago Bulls. 24 hours later, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/phoenix-suns/suns-news-kevin-durants-tough-realization-letdown-showing-upset-loss-raptors">Suns lost to the lowly Toronto Raptors</a>. It’s left some executives scratching their heads.</p><p>“I’ve never been high on Phoenix,” a West executive said, “but there’s also no way they are this bad.”</p><h2><b>The Suns are in trouble, according to many NBA executives</b></h2><p>Another team that has been compared to the Suns has been the Philadelphia 76ers. Their season has also not been going according to plan. Unfortunately for them, they’ve dealt with a barrage of injuries, unlike the Suns. As a result, one Eastern Conference scout explained that the Suns have no future leverage at all.</p><p>“I would be more optimistic long term in Philly than Phoenix long term because, despite the contracts, they have draft capital and some flexibility,” an East scout said. “At least they’ve got [Tyrese] Maxey, [Jared] McCain, possibly another pick.</p><p>Plenty of Suns fans <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/2025/2/23/24371136/phoenix-suns-bradley-beal-devin-booker-backcourt-tyus-jones-lineup-change-mike-budenholzer" rel="noopener">have felt uneasy about the team</a>. Despite trades, benchings, and constant changes to the rotation, nothing seems to be adding up. A team of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal should be good enough to get into the playoffs. However, they’re currently sitting on the outside looking in.</p><p>One West executive echoed a sentiment that plenty of fans have felt.</p><p>“It feels like the wheels have fallen off,” a West executive said of Phoenix’s season.</p><p>There’s a small amount of time for Phoenix to correct the wrongs. However, the efforts might be too little, too late.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Rival exec thinks Suns ‘can’t stand being around each other’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-brian-windhorst-probable-kevin-durant-suns-trade-prediction');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst makes ‘probable’ Kevin Durant, Suns trade prediction');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Brian-Windhorst-makes-probable-Kevin-Durant-Suns-trade-prediction.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst makes ‘probable’ Kevin Durant, Suns trade prediction</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-12T09:31:33-08:00">February 12th, 9:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-12T09:31:33-08:00">February 12th, 9:31am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-time-coming-to-end-brian-windhorst">Suns seemed to have been close to trading</a> Kevin Durant before the deadline last week, but talks fell apart with teams such as the Golden State Warriors. With the thought of trading him at the deadline, there’s a good chance the Suns will try to <a href="https://www.espn.com/video/clip/_/id/43808866" rel="noopener">do it again during the offseason</a>, and Durant is prepared, according to Brian Windhorst.</p><p>“He’s probably going to get traded this summer,” Windhorst said on Get Up. “He knows it. The Suns know it. The rest of the league knows it. They’re going to enjoy him while they have him. It’s not really controversial in all honesty.</p><p>“They’re under .500. They have a $230 million payroll, then add over $100 million on tax on top of that.”</p><p>The Suns have one of the largest payrolls and are over the luxury tax by a large amount, but they have nothing to show for it this season. After having a strong start to the year, injuries and more have affected the team, and now they’re fighting to stay in the Play-In.</p><p>If the Suns want any hope of having a bright future beyond what happens this season, they’re going to have to shed some salary, and with Durant having one year left on his contract, there’s a good chance he and the Suns will work together to try and find him a new home.</p><h2>Is the end near for Kevin Durant and the Suns?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kevin-Durant_ff71a3.jpg"><figcaption>Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With Kevin <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kevin-durant-trae-young-futures-after-trade-deadline-siegels-scoop">Durant being shopped around during the trade deadline</a>, there’s a good chance things can come to an end between him and the Suns after this season, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.</p><p>“Durant was not happy that he was involved in very real trade conversations,” Siegel wrote. “This is not going to just disappear, and the rest of the league knows this. Only a few months remain in the 2024-25 season, and league sources indicate that teams are beginning to get a sense that Durant’s time with the Suns is ending.”</p><p>After the trade deadline, Durant <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-deadline-warriors-rumors">spoke about being brought up in trade rumors</a> and what that means for his future with the Suns.</p><p>“I always had a goal of playing my contract out and seeing what happens,” Durant said. “I can’t focus on a year and a half down the line; I try to focus on the day ahead of me,” Durant said. “I know that’ll be a topic. That’s probably the most frustrating thing about being in trade talks is that the microscope won’t be on solely just me the rest of the season.”</p><p>There’s no doubt that teams will be running for the chance to acquire Durant if he’s made available during the offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Brian Windhorst makes ‘probable’ Kevin Durant, Suns trade prediction

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-kevin-durant-breaks-silence-trade-deadline-warriors-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns superstar Kevin Durant breaks silence on trade deadline, Warriors rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-news-Kevin-Durant-breaks-silence-on-trade-deadline-Warriors-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns superstar Kevin Durant breaks silence on trade deadline, Warriors rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-10T13:16:44-08:00">February 10th, 1:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-10T14:14:14-08:00">February 10th, 2:14pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant had a revealing take on his name being mentioned in rumors involving the Golden State Warriors before last week’s NBA trade deadline. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-kevin-durant-trade-warriors-suns-heat-kd-rejected">Durant reportedly rejected a three-team deal</a> that would have led to a reunion between him and the Warriors.</p><p>After team practice, Durant <a href="https://twitter.com/PHNX_Suns/status/1889049289248378897" rel="noopener">discussed his feelings</a> toward the potential deal with the Warriors, per Suns’ X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“No, I always had a goal of playing my contract out and seeing what happens. I can’t focus on a year and a half down the line; I try to focus on the day ahead of me,” Durant said. “I know that’ll be a topic. That’s probably the most frustrating thing about being in trade talks is that the microscope won’t be on solely just me the rest of the season.</p><p>“My body language, how I speak to you guys after the games, how I’m looking on the bench, that stuff will be magnified, which sucks.</p><p>“But that’s a part of the business that I got to just deal with and accept. But if I keep the main thing the main thing, that can be the main focus. If we turn around and play well, people will focus on that,” Durant concluded.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kevin Durant on whether the trade rumors have impacted feelings on his future in Phoenix: “No, I always had a goal of playing my contract out and seeing what happens….I know that’ll be a topic, that’s probably the most frustrating thing about being in trade talks is that the… <a href="https://t.co/NBpH9mFzY9">pic.twitter.com/NBpH9mFzY9</a></p><p>— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) <a href="https://twitter.com/PHNX_Suns/status/1889049289248378897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>As part of a <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43735946/inside-messy-jimmy-butler-saga-how-all-came-kevin-durant-golden-state-warriors-phoenix-suns-miami-heat" rel="noopener">three-team proposal</a>, the Miami Heat would have received Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, Kyle Anderson, and draft compensation from the Warriors, while the Warriors would’ve ended up with Durant, and the Suns would have landed Jimmy Butler, Jonas Valanciunas, Kuminga, and picks, according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst.</p><h2><b>Will Kevin Durant’s time with the Suns be coming to an end?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-superstar-Kevin-Durant.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>One ESPN analyst believes <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-time-coming-to-end-brian-windhorst">Suns’ Kevin Durant proposed deal with the Warriors</a> could spell the end of the superstar’s tenure with the team.</p><p>“He was not happy he was put into trade talks, and I think it’s unpredictable what will happen for the next few months because it’s the nature of the sport,” Windhorst said. “But I think right now it’s reasonable to forecast Durant will be breaking up with the Suns in the summer.”</p><p>Durant will be entering the final year of his four-year, $194.2 million contract next summer.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns superstar Kevin Durant breaks silence on trade deadline, Warriors rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-bradley-beals-agent-drops-honest-admission-on-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bradley Beal’s agent drops honest admission on Suns trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-news-Bradley-Beals-agent-drops-honest-admission-on-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Bradley Beal’s agent drops honest admission on Suns trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T22:13:13-08:00">February 7th, 10:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T22:13:13-08:00">February 7th, 10:13pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The trade deadline came and went and Bradley Beal, prominently involved in trade rumors, is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-james-jones-revelation-bradley-beal-no-trade-clause">still with the Phoenix Suns after declining to waive his no-trade clause</a> to facilitate a trade that would have gotten the Suns Jimmy Butler. Beal and his camp reiterated that he is looking to make his partnership with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker work, so here they are, looking to fight an uphill climb to make the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference despite not being able to make any major moves.</p><p>Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, clarified that the Suns guard would not have said “no’ to every scenario, it’s just that Phoenix was <a href="https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1888045863479500861" rel="noopener">unable to find</a> a trade framework that is acceptable for Beal.</p><p>“I’m never gonna say absolutely no to anything. But he really wants to make it work here. He’s really not looking to be traded. If there’s something that I find is really interesting and is like a win-win for everybody, yeah we’re looking. But we’re not looking to be traded. We don’t wanna be traded. He wants to make it work. And that was really the gist of the conversation. And from there, nothing really developed that was even a conversation,” Bartelstein said in an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“I’m never going to say absolutely no to anything, but he wants to make it work here”</p><p>Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, tells <a href="https://twitter.com/TermineRadio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TermineRadio</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Jumpshot8?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JumpShot8</a> about his conversations with Phoenix before the trade deadline <a href="https://t.co/wTTJvh9E8e">pic.twitter.com/wTTJvh9E8e</a></p><p>— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNBA/status/1888045863479500861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>So this just shows that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-2-surprising-teams-were-open-bradley-beal-trade-before-deadline">Suns didn’t get too far in conversations that had Beal landing in one of his reported preferred destinations</a>. It was always going to be difficult for them to trade Beal away, since the veteran guard has a full no-trade clause and his contract is arguably the worst in the NBA considering his health issues, and decline in productivity.</p><p>At this point, it looks like Beal and the Suns will be stuck with one another until the contract runs its course at the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.</p><h2><b>Suns show the perils of rushed roster-building</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-Kevin-Durant_03b5fc.jpg"><figcaption>Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Make no mistake about it, the Suns made the right move in trading for Kevin Durant in 2023. But it’s their moves after that that confound the mind. Trading away Chris Paul and a plethora of pick swaps to bring in Bradley Beal and his contract that continues to age like milk was the first blunder, and then they decided to deal Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara for Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen; Allen has been good for the team, but Nurkic wore out his welcome so quickly that Phoenix decided to dump him to the Charlotte Hornets, costing themselves another draft pick in the process.</p><p>Now, the Suns are struggling to separate themselves from the pack in the Western Conference, and it’s only a matter of time before everything blows up in their face.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bradley Beal’s agent drops honest admission on Suns trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-mike-budenholzer-shuts-down-toxic-locker-room-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mike Budenholzer shuts down Suns toxic locker room rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-news-Mike-Budenholzer-shuts-down-toxic-locker-room-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Mike Budenholzer shuts down Suns toxic locker room rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T18:39:55-08:00">February 7th, 6:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T18:39:55-08:00">February 7th, 6:39pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Over the past 24 hours, the Phoenix Suns have had reports of a toxic locker room. However, head coach Mike Budenholzer wasn’t buying any of it. Although the initial report came from ESPN, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-players-refute-toxic-locker-room-reports-kevin-durant-trade-rumors">Suns players refuted the toxic locker room</a> environment. Some of it was because of trade rumors involving Kevin Durant.</p><p>Some of the other reasons are unknown.</p><p>Either way, it’s been a talking point as soon as Phoenix touched down in its home state. Budenholzer spoke to reporters before Friday’s game and <a href="https://x.com/YoungNBA/status/1888035589766922339" rel="noopener">shot down the rumors</a> immediately.</p><p>“Not true,” Budenholzer said. “Making it through a season and all the things that come with that are never easy. It’s not like this has been a perfect or easy ride. But I think the guys’ commitment to each other and willingness to learn and grow is good.”</p><p>It’s been a rough January for the Suns. Although they compiled a nice record, it came with a fair share of unwarranted media attention. For starters, the team benched Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic at the beginning of the New Year. Since then, Beal has been the ultimate teammate.</p><p>He’s even helped rookie Ryan Dunn adjust to the starting role. However, the former Phoenix center didn’t take it too kindly. For instance, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-jusuf-nurkic-claims-no-relationship-with-mike-budenholzer">Nurkic said that there was no relationship with Budenholzer</a>. While the latter dismissed it, Nurkic’s claims could be legitimate, after he was traded.</p><h2><b>Mike Budenholzer negates Suns’ toxic locker room rumors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Mike-Budenholzer-coaching.jpg"><figcaption>© Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Winning cures many things, and when a team isn’t winning, they’ll feel the brunt end of it. For instance, these rumors are among the first surrounding the locker room. Even with the respective Beal and Nurkic benchings, there weren’t many questions when those events transpired.</p><p>Now with a near-Kevin Durant trade, the <a href="https://www.bleacherreport.com/articles/10154013-kevin-durant-trade-rumors-suns-star-was-open-to-heat-move-after-rejecting-warriors" rel="noopener">tension could be heightened even more</a>. That said, plenty of things happen during an NBA season that some don’t think about. Lineup changes, minute changes, role changes, and are among some of those. However, the moves the Suns have made this season have been more extreme.</p><p>Benching a $50 million player isn’t a good look. Simultaneously, throwing Beal’s name in trade discussions while he has a no-trade clause isn’t riveting. Not to mention, he made it clear that he wanted to stay in Phoenix. Furthermore, going back to Nurkic, it was a done deal.</p><p>Once the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-josh-okogie-rick-richards-hornets-trade">Suns swapped Josh Okogie for Nick Richards</a>, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. After suffering multiple DNPs, Nurkic was finally traded. The saga ends but even with professionals, it might take its toll on the players. With 32 games left, there might not be time to process what transpired.</p><p>Either way, the playoffs are the current goal for the Suns. They’ll hope to keep that camaraderie alive, despite the recent rumors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mike Budenholzer shuts down Suns toxic locker room rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-2-surprising-teams-were-open-bradley-beal-trade-before-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: 2 surprising teams were open to Bradley Beal trade before deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/2-surprising-teams-were-open-to-Bradley-Beal-trade-before-deadline.png"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: 2 surprising teams were open to Bradley Beal trade before deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T17:24:49-08:00">February 7th, 5:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T17:25:54-08:00">February 7th, 5:25pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns (25-25) perplexed a number of fans ahead of Thursday’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/kevin-durant-trae-young-futures-after-trade-deadline-siegels-scoop">NBA trade deadline</a>, as Kevin Durant became a surprise name on the rumor mill. How they decide to proceed going into the 2025-26 campaign is expected to hinge on how the team finishes this season. Though, even if owner Mat Ishbia agrees to rip up the current blueprint, which is looking a bit blotchy right now, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-bradley-beal-agent-nonsense-trade-reports">Bradley Beal wields considerable leverage</a>.</p><p>The three-time All-Star’s refusal to waive his no-trade clause prevented Phoenix from completing the Jimmy Butler move it had desired. He was not eager to relocate his family less than 20 months after transitioning from the Washington D.C. area to The Desert. The expectation is that Beal could change his mind under the right circumstances. Unfortunately for the Suns, though, their <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/43735946/inside-messy-jimmy-butler-saga-how-all-came-kevin-durant-golden-state-warriors-phoenix-suns-miami-heat" rel="noopener">two most favorable trade partners</a> are nowhere close to title contention.</p><p>One of them is presently the worst squad in the league. That’s right, before the deadline there was a scenario in which the 31-year-old guard could have returned to his NBA roots.</p><p>“Of all the teams Phoenix canvassed, sources said only the Washington Wizards and Atlanta Hawks would consider taking on Beal if he’d waive his no-trade clause to go there,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst reported.</p><p>“Phoenix clung to that hope for weeks, hoping that if they could somehow improve their package to incentivize these teams to participate, and other trades the Wizards and Hawks were working on fell through, then maybe there would be a path to a deal. Even then, there was still the matter of whether Beal would waive his no-trade clause and accept the trade.”</p><h2><b>Is there a perfect destination for Bradley Beal?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-guard-Bradley-Beal-reacts.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>That is quite the revelation. It makes sense for top teams to be concerned about Beal’s monster contract (owed $53.6 million next season and has a $57 million player option for 2026-27), but a rebuilding franchise like the Wizards is a befuddling fit, to say the least. The Hawks are also not a plausible landing spot, as their trio of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels was engendering optimism when healthy.</p><p>Besides, even if Washington and Atlanta committed to this massive gamble, Beal might not have any interest in competing for either franchise. He spent 11 years with the Wizards and witnessed firsthand how far away they were from relevance. Unless he is the most nostalgic man on the planet, persuading the 2021 All-NBA Third-Team selection to reunite with his first NBA home might be an arduous chore.</p><p>The Suns made a huge Bradley Beal investment, and it has yet to pay off in the way they hoped. He has produced throughout his almost two-season tenure in Phoenix, scoring 17.8 points while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from 3-point range in 90 games, but the Suns did not win a playoff game last year and may not even make it that far in 2025.</p><p>They need Beal and Durant to put the trade rumors behind them and focus on pushing the team out of the NBA Play-In Tournament danger zone. Both men <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-bradley-beal-injury-updates-jazz-game">are listed questionable</a> for Friday night’s face-off with the Utah Jazz in the Footprint Center.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: 2 surprising teams were open to Bradley Beal trade before deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-players-refute-toxic-locker-room-reports-kevin-durant-trade-rumors');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns players refute ‘toxic locker room’ reports amid Kevin Durant trade rumors');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Phoenix-players-refute-toxic-locker-room-reports-amid-Kevin-Durant-trade-rumors.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns players refute ‘toxic locker room’ reports amid Kevin Durant trade rumors</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-07T14:08:49-08:00">February 7th, 2:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-07T14:10:12-08:00">February 7th, 2:10pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ever since teams inquired about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-suns-aggressive-kevin-durant-trade-calls">Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant in a possible trade</a>, once again, are the talk of the NBA. Like previous times, it hasn’t been good publicity. After ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported that a 3-team deal nearly took place, Durant refused.</p><p>It would’ve been between the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors, and the Suns. The <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/warriors-had-kevin-durant-trade-lined-up-in-deal-that-wouldve-sent-jimmy-butler-to-suns-per-report/" rel="noopener">proposed deal</a> would have sent Durant to the Warriors but refused to go back to the Bay Area. Also, Phoenix would’ve received Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, multiple first and second-round picks, plus swaps. Following that, the Suns still received numerous calls about Durant’s availability.</p><p>Although the franchise didn’t end up trading him, it’s a bad look. However, before diving into the deal, let’s rewind to Wednesday morning’s shootaround.</p><p>ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne detailed that the Suns locker room was ‘toxic’ and that everyone was <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/suns-locker-room-toxic-amidst-trade-deadline-rumors-kevin-durant-bradley-beal" rel="noopener">walking on eggshells</a> with the trade deadline. After Luka Doncic was traded from the Dallas Mavericks, it sent a shellshock across the league. Many front offices started to contemplate who was truly untouchable.</p><p>Two days after that report, the bombshell with Durant dropped. Although many question if he’ll stay, there’s still a lingering question about the vibes in the locker room. Royce O’Neale touched on that ESPN report and <a href="https://x.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1887929319843831938" rel="noopener">quickly refuted it</a>.</p><p>“I feel like they are making up some stuff sometimes,” O’Neale said via Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. “I saw that, I was like, ‘I don’t know what they talkin’ ‘bout.”</p><h2><b>Suns didn’t help themselves with Kevin Durant trade rumors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kevin-Durant_91c40c.jpg"><figcaption>© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>All of this could’ve been resolved with simple communication. The organization frequently said that they wouldn’t trade Durant away. However, they did mention that they’ll listen to all offers. That 3-team deal made Durant’s ears burn. An immediate violation of trust isn’t ideal for one of the star players to experience.</p><p>Not to mention, he is technically a free agent after this season after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-kevin-durant-pushing-suns-contract-extension-before-2024-25">Durant didn’t sign a contract extension</a>. At the time, it wasn’t seen as too much of a concern. Now, the Suns could do some real harm to themselves if they don’t resolve the matter soon. He won’t have to remain with the franchise and can sign anywhere else he wants.</p><p>One of those players who’s been involved in trade rumors is Phoenix guard, Grayson Allen. Two years ago, his name was a big talking point at the trade deadline. Many contenders were interested in his sharpshooting and microwave scoring. However, the Milwaukee Bucks ended up keeping him.</p><p>Still, he vividly remembers that experience. A team that was on the brink of imploding is one that he unfortunately understands. During Friday morning’s shootaround, he explained to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin about <a href="https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1887931010710650934" rel="noopener">how intense the trade rumors have been</a> throughout the season.</p><p>“Felt a little bit like that when I was in Milwaukee, but I think it’s a little more extreme here, especially with this year,” Allen said.</p><p>Immediately after that, Allen was asked about that initial ESPN report regarding the locker room. He echoed O’Neale’s sentiment about how the camaraderie is in the locker room and if there is a problem.</p><p>“No,” Allen stated. “The locker room has been good all year long. I don’t know where that came from.”</p><h2><b>Where do the Suns go from here?</b></h2><p>Not capitalizing during the trade deadline hurts. Although they dumped Jusuf Nurkic’s contract, they gave up 1 of their 3 first-round picks. While the picks don’t carry much value, that move is an ideal synopsis of the season. Furthermore, tainting their relationship with Durant isn’t what they want.</p><p>He could be the deciding factor in how the franchise will proceed after this season, barring a playoff exit or missing the playoffs as a whole. Either way, Phoenix will try and keep the positive energy despite the rumors and Kevin Durant’s saga. If they manage to produce winning results, it might not be a problem. But a 25-25 record isn’t enough to spring them into legitimacy.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns players refute ‘toxic locker room’ reports amid Kevin Durant trade rumors

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-timberwolves-tried-acquire-kevin-durant-before-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Timberwolves tried to acquire Kevin Durant before trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Timberwolves-tried-to-acquire-Kevin-Durant-before-trade-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Timberwolves tried to acquire Kevin Durant before trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T17:13:49-08:00">February 6th, 5:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T17:16:16-08:00">February 6th, 5:16pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Minnesota Timberwolves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Only a short while ago, the Phoenix Suns were expected to make serious noise at the 2025 NBA trade deadline. Although they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-grade-suns-jusuf-nurkic-cody-martin-trade">dealt Jusuf Nurkic to the Charlotte Hornets</a>, no major moves occurred in The Desert. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-bradley-beal-family-first-priority-discussing-no-trade-clause">Bradley Beal refused to waive</a> his no-trade clause and Kevin Durant wanted no part of a Golden State Warriors reunion, putting the franchise in limbo. The Minnesota Timberwolves still tried to get the Suns to budge, however.</p><p>They <a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1887634116331323434" rel="noopener">made a late push</a> to acquire Durant ahead of Thursday’s deadline, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes. But Phoenix obviously did not waver. Trading the two-time Finals MVP and six-time All-NBA First-Team selection would probably have signaled a rebuild, which is something the organization is clearly not ready to launch.</p><p>The Suns are 25-25 and occupy the 10th slot in the Western Conference. Their inability to land a two-way star like Jimmy Butler could limit their postseason ceiling. The chances of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-suns-prepared-for-full-evaluation-keeping-kevin-durant-at-trade-deadline">the Durant-Devin Booker-Beal core</a> meeting the lofty expectations that were first set in June of 2023 are rapidly declining. Pulling the plug on this experiment is not an easy thing to do, however.</p><h2><b>Kevin Durant, Suns are stuck in a tricky spot</b></h2><p>Since Phoenix ostensibly has no immediate path to championship contention or complete roster reconstruction, it might make more sense to stand pat for a little longer. The Oklahoma City Thunder are ruling the West with an iron fist at the moment, but the rest of the conference is unpredictable enough to inspire an iota of optimism among Suns fans.</p><p>Even so, the Timberwolves’ Kevin Durant inquiry is completely understandable. They are only two and half games above Phoenix in the standings and face great pressure to build on their playoff success from last season. Pairing Anthony Edwards with one of the greatest scorers in NBA history would have been a smart way to re-establish their championship ambitions while also helping the franchise cornerstone take the next step.</p><p>The Suns cannot rush this process, though. They must do damage control with both Durant and Beal and hope that the squad can awaken in the second half of the season. Phoenix has lost four of its last five games but returns home to the Footprint Center for a Friday night matchup with the Utah Jazz (12-37). Meanwhile, the Timberwolves will move forward with its current group and attempt to topple the third-place Houston Rockets (32-18) on Thursday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Timberwolves tried to acquire Kevin Durant before trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-suns-prepared-for-full-evaluation-keeping-kevin-durant-at-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Suns prepared for ‘full evaluation’ after keeping Kevin Durant at trade deadline');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-prepared-for-full-evaluation-after-keeping-Kevin-Durant-at-trade-deadline.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Suns prepared for ‘full evaluation’ after keeping Kevin Durant at trade deadline</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T14:48:37-08:00">February 6th, 2:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T15:08:53-08:00">February 6th, 3:08pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite heavy rumblings that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-suns-locker-room-toxic-trade-drama">Phoenix Suns may look to drastically alter their roster</a> at this year’s trade deadline, including a potential Kevin Durant trade, the team ended up doing nothing of note outside of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/hornets-grade-suns-jusuf-nurkic-cody-martin-trade">dealing Jusuf Nurkic</a>. The Suns will now play out the rest of their season with their big three of Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker still intact, hoping to improve on last year’s first-round playoff sweep.</p><p>Some were wondering why the Suns’ brass didn’t try harder to make a big shakeup at the deadline, and ESPN’s Shams Charania recently <a href="https://x.com/SportsCenter/status/1887592624728559858" rel="noopener">shed some light</a> on that perspective, per SportsCenter on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“They want to see how this team looks for the rest of the season,” said Charania. “Kevin Durant did not expect his name to be in any trade rumors. He has not requested a trade out of Phoenix this season, from my understanding, and was blindsided by even being involved in any conversations.”</p><p>Charania then spoke on what the Suns’ offseason approach might be if things don’t go according to plan this spring.</p><p>“I am also told there will be a full evaluation of this team if they are not able to turn it around by the offseason,” said Charania.</p><h2><b>The Suns play it safe</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Durant-vs-the-Blazers.jpg"><figcaption>Jaime Valdez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Rather than doing something drastic by trading their best player in Durant, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-staying-put-trade-deadline-jimmy-butler">Suns instead decided to stand pat</a> with (mostly) the same roster they’ve had for the last two seasons and hope that the additional time will allow for better results in the upcoming postseason.</p><p>Of course, in order to have good results in the postseason, you have to get there first, which is by no means a guarantee for Phoenix at the current juncture. The Suns currently sit with a record of 25-25, good for tenth place in the vaunted Western Conference, and have now lost three straight games since their road win over the Golden State Warriors.</p><p>In any case, the Suns’ first game after the trade deadline will occur on Friday evening when they host the Utah Jazz. That game will tip off at 10:00 PM ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Suns prepared for ‘full evaluation’ after keeping Kevin Durant at trade deadline

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-suns-locker-room-toxic-trade-drama');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Suns’ locker room is ‘toxic’ amid trade drama');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-locker-room-is-toxic-amid-trade-drama.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Suns’ locker room is ‘toxic’ amid trade drama</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T11:24:37-08:00">February 6th, 11:24am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T11:24:37-08:00">February 6th, 11:24am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-suns-aggressive-kevin-durant-trade-calls">Phoenix Suns have been involved in quite a few rumors</a> ahead of the trade deadline, and they recently pulled off a move that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-jusuf-nurkic-cody-martin-led-trade-hornets">sent veteran center Jusuf Nurkic to the Charlotte Hornets</a>. While their big three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal are still together for the time being, the rumors surrounding this team aren’t exactly having a positive effect in their locker room.</p><p>Due to his struggles on the floor, Beal has been a trade candidate all season long, despite him having a no-trade clause in his contract. Durant also appears to have been close to getting dealt to the Golden State Warriors, only for him to nix the deal at the last moment. All these rumors and trade discussions have put the team in a tough spot, and it’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/1887571548279640112" rel="noopener">reportedly led to the locker room becoming “toxic.”</a></p><p>“The word I would use … I’ll use toxic,” Ramona Shelburne said on “NBA Today.” “That shootaround yesterday I heard was very awkward, very weird in Oklahoma City because everybody was on pins and needles wondering what they were gonna do. Now you have this reset where, how do you move forward as a team?”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/ramonashelburne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ramonashelburne</a>:</p><p>"Situation in Suns locker room is toxic right now. That shootaround yesterday I heard was very awkward, very weird" <a href="https://t.co/RO4dpG44xT">pic.twitter.com/RO4dpG44xT</a></p><p>— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) <a href="https://twitter.com/ohnohedidnt24/status/1887571548279640112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Trade rumors surrounding Suns aren’t benefiting the team</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-forward-Kevin-Durant-and-guards-Devin-Booker-and-Bradley-Beal.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There’s still time for the front office to shake up Phoenix’s roster before the deadline strikes, but it’s looking increasingly likely that this team will largely be staying put at this point. Given all the rumors and alleged issues that this squad is dealing with in the locker room, that may not end up being a good thing for the Suns.</p><p>With a 25-25 record, the Suns only hold the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, and they haven’t proven to be the Finals contender they were expected to be entering the year. On paper, Phoenix has the talent to get back on track, but if there’s animosity brewing between their players, they could be in trouble, especially if they don’t make any more moves before the deadline strikes.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Suns’ locker room is ‘toxic’ amid trade drama

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-suns-aggressive-kevin-durant-trade-calls');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Suns still getting ‘aggressive’ Kevin Durant trade calls');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-still-getting-aggressive-Kevin-Durant-trade-calls.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Suns still getting ‘aggressive’ Kevin Durant trade calls</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-06T10:40:52-08:00">February 6th, 10:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-06T10:55:03-08:00">February 6th, 10:55am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints. He recently received his Masters in Business Administration from Nichols College. Previously, he obtained his Bachelor's degree in Sport Management and for a while ran his own sports website. Sports are his passion, and he thoroughly enjoys writing about thoughts and opinions that are related to the game. He has been a lifelong fan of the major professional teams in Boston and loves discussing all topics surrounding those teams.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>For a point in time, it seemed like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-warriors-extensive-conversations-kevin-durant-suns-trade">Kevin Durant was going to get dealt from the Phoenix Suns to the Golden State Warriors</a>. And while he ended up <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-kevin-durant-trade-talks-done">shooting down a potential move to reunite with the Dubs</a>, that hasn’t stopped teams across the league from calling the Suns and <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1887566236956995721" rel="noopener">making “aggressive” trade offers</a>.</p><p>Durant’s involvement in trade discussions ahead of the deadline wasn’t expected, but now that the Suns are apparently open to moving him (as their nixed deal with the Warriors showed), teams are seeing if they can pry him away from Phoenix. While the expectation is that Durant will stay put, teams are continuing to make the Suns offers for the legendary scorer.</p><p>“There are multiple teams making really aggressive calls to the Suns on Kevin Durant,” Shams Charania of ESPN said on “NBA Today.” “One thing I do want to clarify, Kevin Durant has not requested a trade, and it’s my understanding most of all these conversations this week have been somewhat blindsiding, because going into this week and this season, I don’t think a trade was something he was thinking about.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"There are multiple teams making really aggressive calls to the Suns on Kevin Durant… He has not requested a trade. Most of all these conversations this week have been somewhat blindsiding."<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> on the possibility of KD being moved 👀<a href="https://t.co/zJBlTtyvuv">pic.twitter.com/zJBlTtyvuv</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1887566236956995721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Will Suns trade Kevin Durant?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Suns-forward-Kevin-Durant-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s not hard to see why the Suns are getting bombarded with trade calls after they nearly sent Durant to Golden State. In his age 36 season, Durant is still as good as ever, averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game on 52.4% shooting from the field. His addition could be just what a playoff or championship contender needs to get over the hump.</p><p>With time running out until the deadline strikes, it seems unlikely that any team is going to be able to put together a big enough trade package to get the Suns to move off of Durant. We have seen crazy things happen over the past couple of days, though, and if Phoenix ends up holding onto him past the deadline, they could end up revisiting these trade talks over the offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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