Day: February 26, 2025

While the Phoenix Suns did not trade Kevin Durant ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, a deal ending his tenure with the franchise appears inevitable. Durant was traded to the Suns by the Brooklyn Nets at the 2023 deadline and they won one series when they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers.

“They’re going to trade him,” said Brian Windhorst on NBA Today on Wednesday. “And he knows that. There’s been a couple of opportunities where he could have criticized them for trying to trade him. He has not done that. He has been very professional about this. I expect that to continue throughout the regular season. He’s going to try to win every game that he’s out there.

“I think he’s handled this very appropriately.”

Windhorst added that “everybody’s intentions are crystal clear.”

The Golden State Warriors were furthest along with the Suns on a Durant trade, but the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies also held some level of talks.

As shocking as the Luka Doncic trade was for all either within the NBA or those who follow it, it was also shocking for him to be abruptly traded by the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles Lakers on the evening of February 1st.

“Those close to him say he has alternated between shock, sadness and anger,” writes ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

Doncic is currently living in a Los Angeles hotel with his fiancee and young daughter after recently closing on a new house in Dallas.

“The closure is going to take a while, I think,” DonÄić said after the Lakers’ 107-99 win. “It’s not ideal.”

Those close to Doncic are working to help him move forward sooner rather than later.

Doncic was ready to commit to a five-year, $345 million supermax with the Mavericks this coming offseason. Now, the Lakers can offer Doncic a four-year, $229 million extension this summer, or a five-year, $296 million contract during the 2026 offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to convert Jaylen Clark to a standard fully guaranteed two-year contract. Clark entered the Wolves’ rotation on January 29th and has averaged 6.9 points and 1.7 reboudns in 11 February games.

Clark was a second round pick by the Wolves in 2023 and missed the entire 23-24 season due to a torn Achilles tendon.

Clark is represented by Todd Ramasar.