Where to, KD?

NEW YORK – Kevin Durant’s basketball career might come full circle in the offseason as he and the Phoenix Suns are likely headed to a divorce after a tumultuous National Basketball Association (NBA) season. 

The Suns fired coach Mike Budenholzer after they failed to make the playoffs or even the play-in tournament despite having the most expensive roster led by Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. 

“Competing at the highest level remains our goal, and we failed to meet expectations this season. Our fans deserve better. Change is needed,” read the Suns’ statement in firing Budenholzer, who has four years left on a five-year, $50 million contract. 

Next on the Suns’ plate is the future of Durant and Beal as they publicly said they will not trade Booker – their longtime franchise player. 

Beal has a no-trade clause that limits his trade value and market. That leaves the Suns with no choice but to explore a Durant trade. 

Durant is the Suns’ biggest trade chip that could net them a significant return to re-tool around Booker and get out of the second apron. 

The two teams – Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs – from Texas, where he played college basketball, along with his former team Golden State Warriors have emerged as the betting favorites to become his next team. 

Bovada, one of the best casino apps, has installed the Rockets as a +120 betting favorite while the Spurs and the Warriors are tied with the second-best odds at +325. 

The New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat -- coached by Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra -- also made the shortlist, all tied at +700. 

The Suns are expected to engage in trade conversations involving Durant, ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania reported on Wednesday (Manila time). 

But unlike in the past trade deadline when they kept Durant out of the loop in their trade conversations with the Warriors, the Suns are expected to work with him and his longtime agent and business partner Rich Kleiman “on the next landing spot for the future Hall of Famer,” according to Charania. 

Durant, 36, is entering the final season of a four-year, $194 million contract. No team would trade for Durant without his commitment to sign an extension. The 15-time NBA All-Star is eligible to sign a two-year deal worth up to $124 million tucked into the final year of his current contract that will pay him $54.7 million. 

Durant, a two-time NBA champion and Finals Most Valuable Player, was still among the elite players in the league when healthy. In 62 games with the Suns this season, he averaged 26.6 points on 52.7 percent field goal shooting, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 blocks.