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According to NBA reporter Logan Murdock of The Ringer, Kevin Durant is “open” to remaining with the Phoenix Suns.
Durant will make $54.7 million next season in the final year of his contract.
“The book isn’t closed on Durant returning to the Suns next season,” Murdock wrote. “League sources suggest that Durant, who will be eligible for a two-year, $122 million extension this offseason, would be open to a return.”
Durant has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets and Suns. He’s a two-time champion, a two-time Finals MVP, a one-time MVP and a four-time scoring champion.
A future Hall of Famer, Durant turns 37 in September. He’s averaging 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Suns this season while shooting 52.7% from the field, 43.0% from beyond the arc and 83.9% from the free-throw line.
The Suns could fire head coach Mike Budenholzer in the offseason to appease Durant and Devin Booker, an NBA source told Hoops Wire. Neither Durant nor Booker has a good relationship with Budenholzer, who is in his first season with Phoenix.
The Suns fired Frank Vogel after one season and hired Budenholzer, who ironically won the 2021 championship with the Milwaukee Bucks against Phoenix.
Booker has spent his entire career with the Suns, while Durant was traded to Phoenix in February 2023.
Most people believe Durant will be traded this offseason, but sources told Hoops Wire that KD enjoys playing with Booker and living in Phoenix.
If Budenholzer is fired and the Suns hire a coach Durant and Booker sign off on, Durant may remain in the desert.
The San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat will pursue a Durant trade this offseason, an NBA source told Hoops Wire.
Durant doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract.
A 15-time All-Star, Durant has career averages of 27.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
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Former Kentucky star Reed Sheppard made NBA history against the Utah Jazz
Reed Sheppard hasn't quite had the rookie season that Kentucky fans were hoping for, but every time he is given an opportunity to play, he does something impressive. That was no different on Wednesday night when the Houston Rockets took on the Utah Jazz. The Rockets took down the Jazz 143-105, and Sheppard got in to play late in the game. Sheppard played nine minutes in this game, where he went 5-7 from three scoring 15 points. In just these nine minutes, Sheppard also pulled down three rebounds and dished two assists. These 15 points and five made threes made Sheppard only the fourth player in NBA history to put up these numbers in under ten minutes played. It has been a bit frustrating that Sheppard hasn't gotten more minutes for the Rockets, but they have exceeded expectations this season, so if it isn't broken, don't fix it has to be the mentality of the coaching staff. The Rockets are going to be in the playoffs this season, so it would be exciting for Kentucky fans to see the Kentucky native Sheppard take the floor in the NBA playoffs. While Sheppard hasn't gotten a ton of playing time this season, he is, without question, still a big part of the future plans for the Rockets franchise. There are some veterans playing ahead of Sheppard, but aside from some veterans, this is a young Rockets team. Sheppard is going to be a part of this young core that will make the Rockets one of the best teams in the NBA for a long time.
Men's Final Four takeaways: Houston stuns Duke with improbable comeback
The 2025 men's national championship game is set for Monday night in San Antonio, with the Houston Cougars taking on the Florida Gators. Just after Florida knocked off the tournament's top-seeded team — Auburn — on Saturday evening, Houston pulled off a stunning win by completing one of the biggest comebacks in Final Four history to defeat Duke, 70-67, to punch its ticket to the championship game. Here are some takeaways from Houston's stunning win. Houston didn't roll over With just over eight minutes to play, Houston faced a 14-point deficit. With two minutes to play, the Cougars were down by seven. They had not led in the game since it was 6-5 early in the first half. Even on a stage like the national semifinal, even in the Final Four, even with a team as good as Houston, it would have been easy to write them off at any of those points in the second half. It seemed over. For all intents and purposes, it was over. Until it wasn't. The Cougars went on a stunning 11-1 run over the final 1:10 of regulation to advance to the national championship game. That was after Duke had a 92.7 percent win probability. The biggest turning point came when Duke turned the ball over an inbounds play with 25 seconds remaining in a three-point game. Houston immediately scored and cut the deficit to one point. Following a missed Duke foul shot on a one-and-one, Cooper Flagg was called for a foul on this play that allowed Houston to take a 68-67 lead with two foul shots of its own. L.J. Cryer was the star for Houston with a team-leading 26 points while also making six of his nine three-point attempts. Cooper Flagg did not have his moment for Duke This could have been a special, magical day for Duke's top player. It began with him becoming the seventh Duke player to win the Wooden Award as the most outstanding player in college basketball. Then he put together another monster stat line that saw him finish with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks. He was a force, and put together the type of performance that is going to make him a lock to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. But when the chips were down in crunch time, it did not fall Flagg's way. Along with getting called for the foul that ended up giving Houston the lead, he also had a potential go-ahead shot clank off the front of the rim as time ticked down. Flagg will still be remembered as an all-time great Duke player. Nobody is going to remember that finish when he gets announced as the top pick in the NBA Draft. In time, Duke fans will look back fondly on his brief career with the program. But the expectation was to win a national championship. That is what Duke plays for. And they fell short. Duke has not played in a championship game — or won it — since the 2014-15 season. For most programs that would be fine. That is an eternity for Duke. Kelvin Sampson and Houston finally kicked the door down Houston has been one of the best programs in the country for the past eight years. They have been a consistent top-10 team, they have won multiple games in every tournament, they have been a No. 1 seed three years in a row, and this is their second Final Four appearance over that time. The only thing they have been missing is a championship to validate all of that success and put themselves with the elites in college basketball. After knocking on the door for so many years, they finally knocked it down this season and will have a chance to win it all.
Titans may have tipped NFL Draft hand with Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter decisions
The Tennessee Titans own the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and they may have dropped a big hit on who they are going select in that spot. Or perhaps more accurately, who they are not going to select. According to Jim Wyatt of the Titans' website, the team and quarterback Shedeur Sanders have mutually agreed to cancel a private workout following Friday's pro day at Colorado. The Ringer’s Todd McShay also reported that the Titans canceled their private workout with Travis Hunter. While it is true that the Titans have all of that game-film and had a chance to see him — and talk to him — at the pro day, there is still something to be said for a private workout and a private visit. That is when the Titans could get serious one-on-one time with a prospect to speak to him, put him through their own drills and get a unique glimpse at a player that no other team would get. Or be there to share time with. The Titans also already had a private visit with Miami quarterback Cam Ward. Following his pro day on Friday, Sanders had a very bold statement for teams entering the draft: You would be a fool to not take him. Ward has been regarded as the favorite to go No. 1 overall, but this is not a draft class where there is a slam-dunk, can't-miss prospect at the top. The best overall player in the draft probably isn't even a quarterback. (Colorado's two-way standout Hunter or Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter are where that discussion starts.) But because quarterback is the position that drives success in the NFL, teams will always make them a priority. The Titans might very well be doing the same. Their decision this weekend might offer a window into which quarterback they really like and have their eyes on.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductees announcement adds to banner UConn weekend
New Signing Could Be First Sign of Yankees Roster Shakeup
The New York Yankees' latest roster move wasn’t meant to grab headlines, and it won’t have fans excited, but it could quietly reshape their bench. The club agreed to a minor league deal with 29-year-old Cooper Hummel, a switch-hitting corner outfielder and catcher. Hummel has struggled in limited big-league opportunities, but he has hit well at Triple-A. Hummel owns a career .159 average across 82 major league games from 2022–2024, but his minor league numbers tell a different story. Over 330 career games at Triple-A, he’s posted a .899 OPS, including a .277/.419/.454 slash line last year with the Astros' affiliate. So how does he fit with the Yankees? Well, his signing could signal that they are getting ready to make a move. The Yankees broke camp without a clear right-handed bench bat. Instead, Pablo Reyes and Oswald Peraza, both light-hitting righties, took two of the bench spots. With Hummel in the system and the team continuing to search for right-handed production, the pressure will turn up on Peraza and Reyes. Once a top prospect in the Yankees' minor league system, Peraza has never been able to establish himself in the big leagues. He hit a home run off the bench during the Yankees’ 20–9 blowout win over Milwaukee on March 29, but he had just one at-bat until a surprising start on Saturday. Peraza does not have any minor league options left, so the Yankees risk losing him if they designate him for assignment. Reyes, who drew praise from manager Aaron Boone in spring training, has yet to find his footing. He’s 0-for-6 across four games and committed multiple errors in his only start at third base. Reyes’ versatility and past success against lefties have long made him a fit for a utility role, but early struggles have made his spot less secure. Hummel doesn’t guarantee a roster move, but he gives the Yankees something they haven’t had: a right-handed, bat-first bench option with experience behind the plate and in the outfield. Whether that eventually pushes Reyes or Peraza off the roster remains to be seen, but the addition adds a layer of pressure to a bench group still trying to settle in.
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