New price tag for Kevin Durant makes Spurs' likelihood of acquiring him crystal clear

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the teams that could potentially land Kevin Durant in a trade, but only if the Suns lower their asking price. On Wednesday, Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today on ESPN that Phoenix is seeking a comparable package to the one it sent to Brooklyn in 2023.

The Suns sent Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick swap to the Nets for Durant and T.J. Warren. Brooklyn traded Bridges to New York the following offseason for five first-round picks. Johnson is still with the Nets, but they could flip him this summer for a first-round pick.

There is no way that the Suns will get anything comparable to what they gave up for Durant. He'll turn 37 before the season starts, which is enough reason for the Rockets to be hesitant about a trade. Durant is entering the final season of his current contract and will be eligible to sign a two-year extension this summer. Because of that, he'll have control over where he goes. Those factors mean that Phoenix won't get the haul that it wants.

Durant on the Spurs would be thrilling, but not for that price. The only reason San Antonio should go after KD is if it can acquire him at a "discounted price," which should be the case, given his situation.

Spurs should stay away from Suns' delusional price for Kevin Durant

Phoenix went from being one of the most exciting teams in the league to one with no clear direction after several questionable moves, headlined by the Bradley Beal trade. The Suns don't want to trade Devin Booker, which would give them the kind of package they desire for KD. They can still get a solid return for Durant, but they need to lower their expectations. Phoenix can't expect opposing teams to pay for its mistakes.

The Spurs could offer the Suns the kind of package they want, but it'd make no sense to do so for a player who is nearing the end of his career. San Antonio isn't at that point of desperation, nor is it anywhere close.

Phoenix's new GM Brian Gregory, who was promoted with only one year of experience in an NBA front office, has his work cut out for him. The Suns want to trade Durant by the draft, which could happen, but not if they don't accept reality.