To prepare for this monumental transaction that seems to be imminent, we’ve ranked the four NBA teams that would be the best on-court fit for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.
With every passing day, the likelihood of Kevin Durant joining his third team since parting ways with the Golden State Warriors in 2019 grows greater and greater, as ESPN Insider Shams Charania’s reporting hinted that a trade could happen “in the next few days.”
Even in his age-36 NBA season, Durant was still performing like an All-Star caliber player – finishing right around the top 25 in our in-house offensive DRIP (O-DRIP) metric. However, his defense does very little to move the needle (50th percentile defensive DRIP among players with at least 1,000 minutes played).
At this point in his career, Durant is best used as an offensive No. 2 with sound defensive infrastructure around him. So the ideal team for Durant would be one that would still have a primary creator, a two-way wing/forward, and a stout rim protector on the roster.
Also, given that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has made it difficult for the three-star model to thrive like the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and others have tried to do previously, Durant’s next team should be one that will only have one other max level player after the trade is complete.
So, to prepare for this monumental transaction that would certainly be more of a win-now move than a long-term one, we’ve ranked the four teams that would be the best on-court fit for the future Hall of Famer.
You might be surprised to see the Minnesota Timberwolves omitted from this list, but any trade swapping Rudy Gobert for Durant might hurt their defense too much to be worth it, and Durant reportedly has no interest in playing there.
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1 week ago David WallNo. 4 Houston Rockets
After bursting onto the scene in 2024-25, everyone sees the young-and-upcoming Rockets as the perfect destination for Durant because of their promising core and treasure trove of draft capital.
Those observations are mostly correct.
If the outgoing package for Durant looks something like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., matching salary, and some picks (like many people are expecting) or pick swaps, the Rockets will still have Amen Thompson (97th percentile D-DRIP), Alperen Sengun (88th percentile), Fred VanVleet (84th percentile), Tari Eason (70th percentile) and Dillon Brooks (60th percentile) left to uphold the defense that finished fifth in D-TRACR this year.
The Rockets don’t have a max level contract on their books to worry about, either.
Unfortunately, the Rockets don’t have a true No. 1 option to help set up Durant and relieve some playmaking burden from his shoulders. Plus, most of their wings/forwards are questionable shooters.
Since tearing his Achilles, Durant has struggled to launch triples at a high volume (his best 3-point rate since 2020 only ranked in the 59th percentile). So he won’t be able to help fix an offense that ranked 27th in 3-point attempt rate.
Overall, Durant makes the Rockets better, but doesn’t elevate them to true title contender status one would hope for when pulling the trigger on such a circumstantial deal.
No. 3 Detroit Pistons
While not listed as a Durant preferred destination, the Pistons sure do make a lot of sense for the veteran forward from an on-court perspective.
Say the Pistons traded Tobias Harris, Jaden Ivey, Simone Fontecchio, and draft picks in exchange for Durant. They would still have a primary creator in Cade Cunningham (their only max level player), adequate rim protection between their center tandem of Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, and wings/forwards in Malik Beasley (if they can bring him back), Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland II.
Cunningham has a more proven track record of handling a higher offensive usage than Edwards, which makes him a smoother fit next to an on-ball/off-ball hybrid like Durant.
But the Pistons still aren’t the ideal fit because of the shaky shooting of their current wing group and the questions around whether the elder statesman aligns with Detroit’s timeline.
No. 2 San Antonio Spurs
Before going down with a season-ending injury, Victor Wembanyama was playing like a borderline top 10 player in the world (seventh in overall DRIP, ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo). And so the time to build a winner around the prodigious star is right now.
The Spurs understand this. That’s why they made a win-now move last trade deadline to acquire De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings. Fox will make for a solid primary creator next to Durant.
Meanwhile, Wembanyama represents the best rim protector that money can buy in 2025.
If the Spurs traded something like Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, and picks for Durant, they would still have Julian Champagnie, Stephon Castle, and Keldon Johnson to fill the wings. As with the Pistons and Rockets, there are questions about whether this trio would be sufficient enough to get the job done, but the thought of pairing Wembanyama and Fox with Durant is just too great to resist.
Normally, we’d say no to the formation of a Big Three. But since Wembanyama is still on his rookie deal and Fox hasn’t gotten his extension yet, Durant would be the only high-roller in this group (the exact opposite of what happened to him in Phoenix).
No. 1 New York Knicks
A few weeks ago, I examined why the Knicks should not trade for Kevin Durant if they have to give up OG Anunoby. Doing so would make their defense weaker (the main reason they got knocked out by the Indiana Pacers) and create a three-star dilemma for them. If the Knicks chose this route, it would not end pretty for them.
However, if the Knicks traded Karl-Anthony Towns (and whatever other matching salary/draft capital the Suns required) for Durant, it would make them the best possible landing spot for the 11-time All-NBA forward.
Jalen Brunson is one of the most ball dominant guards in the league (highest time of possession in the NBA this regular season), and Durant will have no problem slotting in as his second-in-command. Mitch Robinson proved he was finally healthy this postseason, and now the Knicks can benefit from his strong interior presence. And the trio of Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart may be the best role player triumvirate in basketball right now.
The Knicks are the best place for Durant to take his talents to next. They just need to make sure they play their cards right.
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The KD Sweepstakes: Ranking the Four Best Fits for a Kevin Durant Trade Opta Analyst.
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