Kevin Durant’s contract with the Phoenix Suns may be extended this season.
Bobby Marks of ESPN thinks it will be important to keep an eye on any potential Kevin Durant/Phoenix Suns extension going ahead.
In assessing each team’s 2024 NBA offseason, Marks provided the following advice for what to look out for in Phoenix:
A Kevin Durant extension. Durant, 35, has two years left on his contract ($51.2 million and $54.7 million) and is eligible to sign a one-year extension, which would pay him $59.7 million in 2026-27, when the two-time NBA champion turns 38.”
– ESPN’s Bobby Marks
Durant signed a contract with the Suns during the 2023 trade deadline, a few hours after Mat Ishbia became the team’s owner. Durant’s services were traded for many draft picks and core members of the Brooklyn Nets 2021 NBA Finals team, Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges.
Durant just finished a 2023–24 season in which he participated in 75 games, which is the most since the 2018–19 campaign.
Phoenix finished the previous NBA season with 49 wins and a clean sweep in the first round.
Before the 2024 NBA Draft, there were strong rumors that Durant would be leaving Phoenix. Ishbia himself had to confront these allegations on Twitter and X.
“Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it.”
After Frank Vogel was fired by the Suns this offseason, Mike Budenholzer was brought in as head coach. Prior to the appointment, Budenholzer expressed his excitement about working with Phoenix’s all-star team, which includes Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker.
At his inaugural news conference, Budenholzer expressed his excitement to the reporters about working with this squad and these players.
“Our players are excellent. Great players also bring with them high expectations. I believe we accept that.
In the NBA, Durant’s $51.1 million cap hit for the next season is ranked fourth.
Durant claimed he’s settled very nicely in Phoenix, despite the fact the future is still uncertain.
“It was a different transition – tough transition moving from New York, a fast-paced city/lifestyle to the slowed-down pace of Phoenix, but I feel like I got my rhythm midway through the season, getting comfortable,” Durant stated on Up and Adams recently.
“The simple part is basketball. That’s something you can work out. But in terms of day-to-day living, I’m finally at ease in Phoenix.”