The Dallas Mavericks have provided every possible opportunity for the Phoenix Suns to make the playoffs — trading Luka Dončić and seeing Kyrie Irving suffer a season-ending torn ACL — and yet Phoenix hasn’t done it. The Mavericks are legitimately at risk of becoming the first team to ever have to forfeit an NBA game because of a lack of eligible players, and the Suns are still a game outside the playoff picture.
If they do sneak in — then what? I don’t like their odds of beating both the Sacramento Kings and one of the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, or LA Clippers in the Play-In, much less the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that this will be Kevin Durant’s last few games in a Phoenix uniform. The 18-year veteran has been solid on the court this season, averaging 26.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game, which should return some value even with his off-the-court antics.
On Wednesday night, the Suns will face another team that is arguably in the Play-In Tournament against its own will: the 29-39 Chicago Bulls, who hold the East’s ninth seed and are condemned to a sweep at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers if they sneak their way through it.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Phoenix is a six-point favorite and the point total is set to 234. Below, I’ve outlined my favorite props centered around Durant.
Best Kevin Durant Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Kevin Durant 30+ Points (+170)
The Slim Reaper hasn’t hit the 30-point threshold since March 10, a four-game streak that seems like a long time for one of the best pure scorers the league has ever seen. But each of those more modest outings can be explained by a mitigating circumstance. In each of the first three, the Suns faced a relatively good defense, between the Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers. Then, on Monday, Durant played just 29 minutes and attempted only seven shots in a game against the Toronto Raptors that Phoenix won by 40 points. His efficiency has been incredible — since the All-Star break, he’s shooting 50.8% from the field and 44.7% from deep, so his limited production can be tied more to opportunity.
The Bulls provide him with just the opportunity he needed. Chicago has had the league’s eighth-worst defensive rating this season and played at its third-fastest pace, so the counting numbers are downright gaudy. The Bulls have conceded the third-most points and have allowed opponents to convert at the ninth-best percentage in Durant’s preferred midrange. Whoever guards Durant — which will likely include Matas Buzelis and veteran Patrick Williams — won’t be able to match his combination of size, skill, and agility. Both Buzelis and Williams are graded as below-average defenders by Basketball Reference’s defensive box plus-minus stat. Chicago is also talented enough to keep the game competitive and Durant in the game.
Kevin Durant O11.5 Rebounds + Assists (-110)
Durant’s impact against the Bulls won’t be limited to his scoring, though, given that he’s one of just eight players in NBA history with career averages of at least 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game. Even though he’s averaging his fewest rebounds since his rookie season in 2024-25 and his lowest assist average since 2014-15, he’s still very capable of putting together complete performances, with five 10-rebound games and nine games with seven or more assists. Plus, he’ll have a relatively healthy supporting cast around him, with only Grayson Allen, Bradley Beal, and Mason Plumlee out.
Chicago’s defensive struggles extend far beyond scoring. The Bulls also allow the second-most rebounds and fourth-most assists, figures that have only marginally improved since they dealt Zach LaVine for Zach Collins at the trade deadline as part of the three-team deal that De’Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs. Durant’s rebounding has already increased marginally in recent weeks, to 6.5 per game since the All-Star break, and those came against teams that control the glass better than Chicago does, so I’d expect a big night on the boards to carry him over this prop.
