Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia didn’t wait long to address the rapidly growing rumors about the team potentially dealing superstar Kevin Durant this offseason.
The Suns are coming off another disappointing playoff exit that culminated with a sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round. But despite falling well short of another championship bid in 2023-24, the team is not planning to trade Kevin Durant.
Taking to X/Twitter hours before the 2024 NBA Draft, Ishbia poured cold water over the Durant trade speculation. Ishbia wrote that the organization “loves Kevin Durant” and vice versa.
“NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong.
My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. Gotta love draft night! Go Suns.”
The Suns acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets ahead of the 2023 deadline. The move did little to help Phoenix’s championship quest, as they were ousted by the Denver Nuggets in the conference semis.
Last year, Phoenix acquired All-Star guard Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards. The hope was that a “big three” of Durant, Beal and Devin Booker would help Phoenix get over the top, yet they couldn’t even win a playoff series.
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But it’s easy to understand why the Suns are keen on keeping Durant for at least another year. They already made one big change by hiring Mike Budenholzer, who guided the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA Championship three years ago, to replace Frank Vogel as head coach.
Phoenix gave up a king’s ransom to acquire Durant from Brooklyn, so it would be a bad look for the organization if they decided to give up after less than two years.
Suns Are Better Off With Kevin Durant
The Suns can’t change their roster much because of their salary cap situation. Even if they traded Durant, the odds of getting anything close to equal value in return are awfully slim.
Phoenix is doing the right thing by running it back with Durant, who’s still under contract for two more years. They’re in win-now mode with KD, Beal and Booker, so now is not the time to hit the reset button.
