- Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal were touted to take the Phoenix Suns to power in the NBA Western Conference.
- It hasn’t worked out that way as Phoenix is 28-33 as of March 3, and four games out of 10th place, which means out of the playoffs.
- If the Suns don’t turn it around, it appears that the team will work with Durant to trade him to a contender.
When the Phoenix Suns traded for Bradley Beal, getting the guard from Washington, many expected the Suns to challenge in the NBA’s Western Conference.
But it has been a disaster for the Suns, who haven’t made it past the second round since losing to Milwaukee in the Finals in 2021. They may not even make the playoffs this season, and that could lead to a breakup between Kevin Durant and the Suns.
Suns Out of the Playoff Picture, Durant is “Embarrassed”
It was reported on March 2 that Durant could be on the move this summer, and the relationship started to go south when he was in trade conversations ahead of the deadline.
ESPN’s Shams Charania stated:
"Durant was blindsided when he was involved in trade conversations. But this offseason, from my understanding, what it would look like is Durant and the Suns would work together on any potential trade to a contender in a trade scenario. I would expect four to six contending teams to have some serious involvement with Durant."
Things didn’t get better for the Suns on Sunday, when they were trounced 116-98 at home by Minnesota. Durant said he was “embarrassed” by the game.
"We didn't play up to our standards at all. We embarrassed the fans, and we embarrassed ourselves the way we played. I want us to be better."
The Suns are now 28-33 as of March 3, and they’re four games behind Dallas for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. There is still time for a turnaround, which could keep Durant in Phoenix. However, it seems like the end of the road is near for the two sides. They were in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes, and he wanted to come to Phoenix.
However, Beal’s no-trade clause scuttled a potential deal, and Butler was traded from Miami to Golden State. Coincidentally, the Warriors also inquired about Durant, who spent four seasons and won two championships there. However, the future Hall of Famer didn’t want to leave Phoenix. Durant leads the team with 26.7 points, adding 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists, but it hasn’t translated to team success for the Suns.
Where Could Kevin Durant Land Next Season?
Phoenix’s NBA championship odds are down the drain, and now they have to focus on simply making the playoffs. There were lines at NBA betting sites pertaining to possible trade destinations for Durant, and there will surely be more soon.
Charania said there were 4–6 teams looking to acquire Durant, and one almost certainly is Houston, who have young players that the Suns could use, as well as draft capital. Beal can’t be moved, and the Suns will likely look to build around Booker. But they have the league’s highest payroll by almost $16 million over Minnesota, and they’re not in the playoffs. That can’t sit well for Suns’ owner Mat Ishiba,, so look for Durant to be on the move this summer, barring something miraculous.
