Kevin Durant can extend his contract with the Phoenix Suns this offseason beginning on July 8th.

Durant can add one more season at just under $60 million for the 26-27 season when he will be 38. Durant will turn 36 at the start of training camp in September. 

The decision made by Durant and the Suns on an extension will be monitored across the league as a signal of how both sides view the pairing long-term.

Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal will combine to make approximately $150 million for the 24-25 season.

In the postgame media session after the Minnesota Timberwolves swept the Phoenix Suns, Wolves franchise star Karl-Anthony Towns had high praise for Anthony Edwards.

"He’s the face of the league. I’ve been saying that. He hates when I say it, but it’s true," Towns on Edwards' place in the NBA.

Minnesota's young star also drew high praise from Suns forward Kevin Durant.

 Edwards scored 40 points in helping the Timberwolves to close out the Suns in four games. He shot 13-of-20 from the floor, including 7-of-13 from behind the arc. Edwards added nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and a steal to his big scoring line.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic won't use a right knee injury as an excuse for his struggles in the first-round playoff series against the LA Clippers. But Doncic is clearly playing through it, and he feels as if that's putting a lot on Kyrie Irving's shoulders.

"I just got to help him more," Doncic said of Irving. "I feel like I'm letting him down, so I got to be there. I got to help him more. He's given everything that he has, and he's been amazing for us the whole series."

Doncic injured his right knee in the first quarter of Game 3. It's impacted his ability to create separation from the Clippers defenders. But the Mavs star expects himself to be better, despite the injury.

"It's hurting obviously, but it shouldn't be an excuse, man," said Doncic on playing 45 minutes in Game 4. "Just came out and a little sloppy, so I got to be way better than that."

The Clippers won Game 4 to even the series at 2-2. Game 5 is in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Joel Embiid was mostly upset at how his team played down the stretch of the Philadelphia 76ers Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. That lost left the Sixers on the verge of elimination, as the Knicks lead the series 3-1.

However, Embiid was also upset at the number of New York fans in the building for Games 3 and 4 of the series in Philadelphia. At various points through both games, it sounded as if the crowd was at least 50-50. Embiid called that "disappointing".

"I love our fans. Think it's unfortunate and I'm not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously, you got a lot of Knicks fans and they're down the road and I've never seen it," Embiid said. "And I've been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They've always shown up and I don't think that should happen. Yeah. It's not okay."

Game 5 shifts back to New York on Tuesday, with the Knicks having a chance to close out the series in front of their home fans.

Kevin Durant reportedly never felt comfortable playing alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in the Phoenix Suns' offense, sources told Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic.

Durant had "persistent issues" with being relegated to the corner with the offense built around pick-and-rolls instead of his strengths.

Teammates and those close to the organization felt like Durant should have voiced his concerns more directly with Frank Vogel.

Kevin Young, now at BYU, was responsible for the Suns' offense. Players questioned the coaching staff's ability to maximize a lineup of Durant, Beal, and Booker.

The Suns are reportedly taking a "hard look" at making full changes to the coaching staff this summer. 

The Phoenix Suns are expected to take a "hard look" at a full coaching change for the second straight offseason, sources told Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic.

The Suns will, at the very least, make changes to Frank Vogel's staff.

The Suns were swept by the Timberwolves in the first round.

Vogel said before Game 4 that he has the "full support" of Mat Ishbia.

James Jones is expected to remain as the general manager next season. 

New Charlotte Hornets president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson is building out his front office staff. One person Peterson has his eyes on New York Knicks executive Brock Aller.

Aller is currently the Knicks vice president of basketball and strategic planning. Aller was one of New York president Leon Rose's first hires when he took over the team's front office.

Aller is considered one of the best in the NBA at managing the salary cap and negotiating team-friendly contracts. It's unclear if he'll leave New York, as the Knicks are expected to do what it takes to keep Aller in the fold.

Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison knew his team needed to add talent at the trade deadline. But Harrison didn't want to make short-term moves. He kept a long-term vision in mind when executing trades for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the deadline.

"It wasn't really about winning right now," Harrison told ESPN. "It was just about continuing to build it. It's like every step is, how do we continue to get better? And we're not built for just right now; we're built for the next three playoff runs."

Harrison felt that Gafford and Washington would improve with the Dallas. Both players would have something to play for, as opposed to playing out the season on teams near the bottom of the standings. Gafford echoed his GM's thoughts.

"No disrespect to any other team that we were on, but it's just we went from playing for nothing to playing for something," Gafford said. "It's like we had to lock in a whole different way."

When Kevin Durant was diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon during Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals, he feared he would never return to his superstar form.

"This is career-ending, I'm done," Durant recalled thinking.

"That's what I was thinking," he told ESPN, "because that's all I was hearing, that this s--- is over."

Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets that offseason, sat out the entire 19-20 season and then reestablished himself as one of the world's best players during the 2021 playoffs.

Durant played 75 games in the regular season this past season and was generally more reliable than his younger co-stars in Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

"My whole being has been committed to playing basketball. I didn't think it was time yet. It's that simple," Durant said. "And when I'm that committed to something, I didn't even think about anything else but, like, when are we starting recovery? As soon as it happened, everybody wanted to cry with me. I did that for a second, crying, because everybody else was crying, and then I'm like, 'When are we doing surgery? When can I start my recovery process?' And that's how it was, man. I'm ready to get back, quick."

Durant's return was not just fueled by his love for the game, but something existential.

"I think all these guys love it," he said. "It just feels like life or death for me since day one growing up. If I wasn't doing this, what the f--- else am I doing? Until the wheels fall off. I can't just not be the best basketball player that I can be every day. That's been the mentality in my head since I was 8 years old.

"I had no other choice but to go back to work. I wasn't going to go back and be like, 'Mom, Dad, Bro, Sis, Godfather -- all my whole family that has been trusting in me and believing in me that I'm living for and I'm pushing this family name for every day -- [and say] 'I'm done, I tore my Achilles.' Like, what the f--- you mean? You're done? You can't be done."

Ja Morant has hired Mike Miller of Lift Sports Management as his new representation. Miller also represents Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr.

Morant was previously represented by Jim Tanner.

Morant signed a five-year, $193 million extension with the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2022 offseason and cannot become a free agent until 2028.