The seeds are being planted for another possible departure for Kevin Durant.
After the Timberwolves dominated Durant and the Suns on Sunday, a highly touted but largely underachieving team, The Athletic reported that Durant is playing for first-year coach Frank Vogel this season. reported that he was dissatisfied with his role.
“On the other hand, Durant, one of the best scorers in NBA history, wasn’t necessarily happy with how he was used,” a person briefed on the matter told The Athletic. He said he was never satisfied with his role in the Phoenix offense this season, along with (Devin) Booker and (Bradley) Beal. According to the outlet. “Those sources say Durant has persistent problems with his offense, being forced into the corners too often and with his offense built around pick-and-rolls, which makes him play to his strengths.” At the same time, some teammates and those close to the organization believe that Durant has voiced his concerns more firmly and directly to Vogel and the coaching staff. I thought it was necessary. ”
The Suns acquired Durant from the Nets last February with hopes that he could help them return to the NBA Finals, where they lost in 2022, but they have suffered consecutive setbacks over the past two years.
Phoenix earned the No. 4 seed last year, beating the Clippers in five games in the opening round, but lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion Nuggets in six games.
This year’s Suns team, featuring the Big Three of Durant, Booker and Beal, won more games than last season’s team, but still earned the No. 6 seed.
All three regular season games were against the Timberwolves, and the Suns lost three of the four games by double-digit points.
This series encapsulates a team that appears to be on the rise in Minnesota while the Suns and their big-ticket stars don’t seem to be heading anywhere.
Durant played in 75 games last season, the most since 2018-19, and averaged 27.1 points per game, but his field goal percentage dropped from 57% to 52.3%.
The 35-year-old had a solid postseason performance, averaging 26.8 points per game, including over 30 points in Games 1 and 4, but the Suns were unable to catch up with Minnesota. .
Phoenix is currently 6-9 in the postseason with Durant on the roster.
With roster salaries ballooning and the team seemingly regressing, the Suns are taking a hard look at their roster to see what moves they can make to better position themselves for the future. You’ll need to look into it.
Durant, who has played for three teams in the past six years, has shown in recent years that he is willing to leave for another team if he feels it gives him a better chance to win.
The veteran has a $51.2 million cap hit next season and is under contract for the next two years.
