Kevin Durant may be on the move again after a disappointing playoff exit with the Houston Rockets. Teams like the Mavericks and Timberwolves are potential landing spots if the Rockets decide to trade him.
Key points
Kevin Durant may be traded after disappointing playoff performance
Rockets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round
Durant's fit as a teammate raises concerns
His on-court contributions remain elite
Contenders are interested in acquiring Durant
Mentioned in this story
Kevin Durant
Houston RocketsLos Angeles LakersDallas MavericksMinnesota Timberwolves
Could Kevin Durant soon join his fourth team in five seasons?
There aren't any real indications that the Houston Rockets, after acquiring Durant last offseason as a much-needed wing scorer, would be interested in parting ways with the 37-year-old already. But with another disappointing playoff result, losing to the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers in the first round, perhaps Houston is willing to shake things up again — especially if there's any real fire from the smoke of Durant's recent burner account saga.
At this point in his career, Durant's fit as a teammate could drive teams away, but his on-court contributions remain as elite as ever. If the Rockets decide they'd trade him, there should be plenty of contenders eyeing Durant as a potential needle-mover toward title contention.
Here's a look at five potential fits for Durant on the trade market this offseason, if the Rockets are willing to part ways after one season.
The fit here makes enough sense to entirely ignore February 2025, when Durant was a trade candidate with the Suns, but reports indicated he did not want to re-unite with the Warriors despite the team's interest.
The star forward confirmed those rumors later on.
“I don’t feel like there was a need to make that big a change right now,” Durant said on "The Draymond Green Show" last year. “It didn’t make sense to me.”
He also made something clear: that preference had nothing to do with playing alongside Green or any bad blood with the franchise from his previous stint. Durant said that, at the time, he simply preferred to stay in Phoenix. The Warriors later pivoted to acquiring Jimmy Butler, while Durant was traded to Houston last offseason.
“You don’t want to play with Draymond no more. You don’t want to go back (to Golden State),” Durant said, mimicking his critics. “I’m like, ‘Yeah that s— is annoying, and I don’t like it, but I can play under anything.'”
Perhaps it's time to revisit the Warriors-Durant fit. For one, he likely wouldn't cost Golden State much serious draft capital as a 37-year-old whose best days are behind him — but at the same time, if the Warriors continue to go all-in on surrounding a still-elite Stephen Curry with a title-caliber roster, Durant can assist in that aspect.
How Butler will look upon his return from injury next year is a major question, as is the future of Green and Steve Kerr. But what better options do the Warriors have than continuing to go all-in on the Curry era? Durant could alleviate Curry's scoring burden with a franchise he found plenty of success with — one last hurrah for the two stars before they each retire in a few years.
If Durant is available, Golden State will likely show interest. The question is whether Durant's interest will be reciprocated.
Considering how things panned out with their last franchise star, Luka Doncic, the Mavericks are likely to be fairly cautious in how the build around Cooper Flagg. However, Flagg has already proven himself as one of the best all-around NBA players — he can contribute to an elite team if Dallas surrounds him with the right talent.
The Mavericks are coming off a rough 26-win season, but one way or another, 2026-27 should be better. Both Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II should be back on the floor. Even if neither player is 100 percent how they used to be, they can elevate the Mavericks.
Add in Durant to a lineup alongside Irving — a close friend of his, and a former Nets teammate — with Flagg and Lively, and the Mavericks could already have an elite Western Conference contender by Flagg's second year. Klay Thompson remains under contract as well, another potential teammate reunion for Durant.
Dallas has the No. 8 pick in this year's draft and might be unwilling to sacrifice any assets for Durant as it focuses on the future with Flagg. But he's already a star worth going all-in with. Adding Durant would allow Dallas to keep Flagg in a do-it-all role in the frontcourt, rather than forcing him to go out and score on every possession.
Since Butler's departure, the Heat have lacked star power on the wings. Naturally, most stars get connected to Miami in trade talks — Pat Riley will regularly throw his team in the running for elite players. Durant fits just about anywhere, but the Heat could use his scoring punch after missing the playoffs in 2025-26.
Miami has the bones of a contending roster, with an elite all-around center in Bam Adebayo, shooting in the Tyler Herro-Norman Powell duo and young frontcourt depth in Kel'el Ware and Jaime Jacquez Jr. But the Heat are still missing that Butler-like presence — someone who can score, create plays and lead the team from the wing.
A 43-win season for Miami, which is typically one of the better Eastern Conference teams, may be enough of a wake-up call for Riley that this team isn't currently good enough. They're a star-hunting franchise.
Whether Durant is the answer is one question, but acquiring him would at least move the Heat closer to the top of the conference.
The Pistons looked like title contenders for the entire 2025-26 regular season, breaking out for 60 wins behind their defense, Cade Cunningham's stardom, Jalen Duren's emergence and some strong role players. Then, the playoffs arrived.
Detroit's inability to score in the halfcourt beyond Cunningham has been exposed by the Orlando Magic — Tobias Harris has become the Pistons' second-leading scorer in the first round of the playoffs as they've fallen behind in the series. With Duren and Ausar Thompson not being shooters, and a lack of scoring options elsewhere, the Pistons' next step is clear: add an elite secondary scorer.
Durant may not deserve the benefit of the doubt as a "missing piece" after coming up short in Brooklyn, Phoenix and Houston, but he would absolutely help Detroit's offense. A Cunningham-Durant duo would be one of the East's best, and alongside Duren, that's one of the better trios across the NBA.
The Pistons should be careful in how they tinker with their roster after winning 60 games. The core is in place for continued success. But if they want to make a splash, Durant's scoring presence is something they could desperately use.
If the Timberwolves make a deep playoff run this year, they likely won't want to make a big move. But an exit anywhere before the conference finals could result in a shake-up alongside Anthony Edwards; Minnesota has had its Edwards-Gobert-McDaniels core since 2022, with Julius Randle joining in 2024. Five playoff exits without a Finals appearance in five years could justify a big move in hopes of breaking through.
The Timberwolves were one of the teams known to have interest in Durant last offseason, but Durant indicated Minnesota was not one of his preferred teams, per ESPN, leading to talks between Phoenix and Minnesota breaking down.
Like the Warriors connection, it may be time to revisit the fit on both sides. For the Timberwolves, Durant would make for an excellent secondary scorer next to Edwards, something the team could use in the playoffs. With strong 3-and-D players in place, an Edwards-Durant-Gobert trio would bring a blend of everything needed to win a title, and Edwards has been friendly with Durant many times in the past.
For Durant, the Timberwolves are one of few teams that could realistically acquire him while remaining in title contention, giving him an opportunity to play alongside a star as a secondary weapon — something he's a better fit for at 37 years old. Both Minnesota and Durant could use each other this offseason, should the Timberwolves come up short in the playoffs and the Rockets make their star available.
