Kevin Durant stayed in Phoenix as another turbulent second half, with subsequent offseasons focusing on the Suns.
When the 2025 NBA trade deadline went in and out of the Suns on Thursday, ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on “NBA Today” that the team had a very nasty shooting ahead of Wednesday's defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder I did.
“I use 'Toxic',” Shelburne said, describing the Sands locker room after a tight trading deadline where most players are floating in the trade. “I heard that shootaround was very troublesome and very strange because everyone was on the pins and needles and wondered what they were trying to do.”
The Suns missed the injured Durant and continued to lose 31 points to lightning. Golden State.
“You've got this reset now. How do you move forward as a team with a clear mission where they have to do something, and what they can do is accomplish something. If you can't… there's an apron, this is all there is ESPN's Brian Windhorst spoke of Sands' position: “It's hard to move forward. It's left there.”
Windhorst added that Durant was “shocked” as being part of the trade debate.
With Durant staying in Phoenix in the near future, the 25th-25th Sun is now the 10th seed in the Western Conference and half of the 8th seed.
They struggle to go through the crowded west to make extended playoff runs, and things can get worse in the desert.
Phoenix eventually traded dissatisfied center Jusuf Nurkic on the deadline, along with Cody Martin and first-round picks for the Hornets in exchange for a 2026 second pick.
