Infamous Spurs culture putting Kevin Durant trade potential at risk

The Spurs have never been the team to seem desperate to add stars to their roster, no matter where they were in their journey, and they aren't about to start now. Brian Windhorst made that clear on ESPN's GetUp this morning when discussing the current state of the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.

"From what I understand, the three teams on Durant's list, Miami, San Antonio, and Houston, have not made offers that have gotten Phoenix excited to this point. 'To this point' is very important." - Brian Windhorst

That's not surprising. Durantula will be 37 in September, and so he isn't exactly a spring chicken. He's unfortunately dealt with more injuries as he's gotten older, including this last season that forced him to miss 20 games. The issue for Phoenix is that while KD doesn't have a ton of leverage, he's using what he has to make this process as beneficial for himself as possible.

Durant is likely going to land in one of his preferred destinations

It's common knowledge what teams are on Slim Reaper's final list: The Spurs, Rockets, and Heat. But several reports have indicated that the Suns aren't very inclined to give KD what he wants at the expense of the best deal for the franchise.

Minnesota has been rumored to be the most aggressive in trying to acquire Durant's services, but the fact that a deal hasn't been reached yet is telling, and Project Spurs writer Collin Reid pointed that out earlier today.

He makes a great point. The answer is that the deal isn't that impressive, and they're more likely holding out hope that one of the other teams on the list will improve their offers. They have a responsibility to get as much as they can when they trade a superstar, and that may not come from San Antonio. Maybe the Heat or Rockets will pull it off.

Shams Charania didn't name the Spurs as a team that Phoenix has been talking to lately. But it's not the worst thing if they miss out on KD. The Silver and Black know that they need to improve the roster, and having the assets they do means they can call GMs to inquire about players who wouldn't be available, minus the kind of packages SA can put together.

Until they make that move, there will be members of Spurs Nation who criticize the front office for not being aggressive enough. That's been the nature of the organization for a long time. Fans are tired of missing the playoffs and are ready to see the team compete, though, so patience is thin. Nothing is set in stone, though.

Until Durant is moved somewhere else, the Spurs aren't out of it. We've seen 180s before. Brian Wright could still put together the best deal out of any of these teams. If they don't get him, it will still be fine. Eventually. Just give them time to identify the next target.