Getty Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns (C) answers questions from the media while owner Mat Ishbia looks on at a press conference.
Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia killed the Kevin Durant trade rumors before they took on a life of their own ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
“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,” Ishbia posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday, June 26.
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…
Ishbia’s comment was a reaction to an ESPN report that the Houston Rockets were aiming for Durant after they made a pick-centered deal with the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Houston returned Brooklyn’s 2025 and 2026 first-round picks for Phoenix’s 2025 and 2027 and a chance to receive the 2029 first-round pick as part of a swap if it’s the most favorable of the Dallas, Houston and Phoenix firsts, according to Wojnarowski.
“The implications of the Rockets landing the Suns’ picks? Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant and that becomes far easier if they can return the Suns’ picks that they gave up in the Durant deal to the Nets. Suns have said they’re keeping Durant for now, but that could change next season. But now, Houston has the picks to make the Suns whole again,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
The implications of the Rockets landing the Suns’ picks? Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant and that becomes far easier if they can return the Suns’ picks that they gave up in the Durant deal to the Nets. Suns have said they’re keeping Durant for now, but that could change…
Suns Still All-in on Their Big 3
The Suns gave up Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029) and a 2028 pick swap to the Nets for Durant and T.J. Warren in the middle of the 2022-23 season.
Then they added Bradley Beal last offseason in another major trade that put them in the second apron.
Both deals limited the Suns’ flexibility and while the early return was not what they expected — a first-round exit in the Western Conference playoffs — it did not discourage them.
Ishbia and the Suns are still all-in, firing coach Frank Vogel just after one season into his five-year, $31 million deal. They replaced Vogel with another NBA champion coach, Mike Budenholzer, to the tune of more than $50 million over five years, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
They are hoping Budenholzer can maximize the trio of Durant, Beal and Devin Booker despite little depth surrounding them.
Suns Want to Maximize Kevin Durant
After Durant’s well-chronicled disconnect with the Suns coaching staff last season, Phoenix general manager James Jones said they want to become the first team to maximize Durant’s talent.
“I tell you, that’s a constant focus for us to continue to figure out how to maximize Kevin Durant,” Jones said during his exit interview on May 1 at Footprint Center. “No one has done it yet. I believe we will be the first team to do it because if we can maximize him, we can maximize our entire roster. We’re a better team, but that’s not an issue. I think Kevin had a phenomenal season this year offensively.”
“I think he had some of the best stretches of his career this year,” Jones continued. “So it wasn’t an offensive thing. It wasn’t a utilization or usage thing. It was just the totality of figuring out when and where and how to do it together. We just could not get on the same page.”
Durant averaged 27.1 points on 52/41/86 shooting split across 75 games in his first full season with the Suns. It was the most games the 35-year-old superstar has played since returning from an Achilles injury in 2019.