Kevin Durant doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
Just hours before Wednesday’s NBA draft, the Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia hints at X Their superstar forward will not be traded.
“NBA Draft night is awesome,” Ishbia wrote. “Everyone is talking about the drama and storylines, some are right, some are wrong. It’s my turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix because they are a championship contender this year. Draft night is awesome! Go Suns.”
Rumors swirled around Durant on Tuesday after the Houston Rockets inked a trade with the Brooklyn Nets for multiple future draft picks.
Brooklyn gave up a 2027 first-round draft pick via Phoenix in exchange for the Suns’ 2025 first-round draft pick. In return, Houston secured the more lucrative 2029 draft pick in the Dallas-Phoenix swap.
ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski breaks down Tuesday’s trades.wrote X: “What does it mean for the Rockets to acquire the Suns pick? Houston wants to trade for Kevin Durant, and getting the Suns pick back to the Nets, which they gave up in the Durant trade, would make that much easier. The Suns have said they’re keeping Durant for now, but that could change next season. But now Houston has the pick to make the Suns whole again.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith also weighed in on the conversation, saying on “First Take” that the Suns want to trade Durant.
“I’m here reporting. Never mind what Phoenix is saying. They want Kevin Durant out of business right now,” he said.
Smith also added that Houston head coach Ime Udoka wants to trade for Durant, but the team isn’t convinced.
“Also, Houston doesn’t want Kevin Durant. Ime Udoka might want him, but they know organizationally they’re not there yet, so their plans are more long-term. And they want Devin Booker. They know it’s unlikely they’ll get him, but that’s what they want.”
However, according to sources Arizona Republic The Suns have no plans to part ways with the NBA star and are “fighting” with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Durant.
The “Big Three” played 41 regular season games together in their first year together, with the Suns going 26-15.
Durant had a great year, averaging 27.1 points in 75 games, the best mark of his career since recovering from an Achilles injury in 2019, but he expressed frustration in April.
After the Timberwolves beat Phoenix in the first round, The Athletic reported that Durant was unhappy with his role this season under head coach Frank Vogel, who was fired after just one season and replaced by Mike Budenholzer.
