Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia will not trade Kevin Durant and here is why

Rumor and speculation are part of draft night in the NBA and so too are surprising moves, but as things stand it’s now clear that there will be none of those three in Phoenix. With an intention to contend for a title, the Suns have no desire to let go of their biggest star.

Kevin Durant is staying in Phoenix

As mentioned before, the NBA draft is and will likely always be a roller coaster ride. From unexpected trades to promising prospects, the night has no shortage of surprises. Yet, there is one big name that won’t be on the move this time around and that’s the Phoenix Suns’ Kevin Durant. Following intense speculation about whether the two-time NBA champion would be on the move, franchise owner Mat Ishbia took a moment to weigh in on the 35-year-old’s situation, making it explicitly clear that Durant will be going nowhere.

“NBA Draft night is the best,” Ishbia wrote. “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.”

To be clear, there is some context to consider here. On Tuesday night, the Houston Rockets traded for the rights to all of the draft picks that the Suns used to acquire Durant last offseason. What came next was a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski who reported that the Rockets did so with the intention of trading for Durant. As you can probably guess, the rumor mill kicked into full gear, though it must be said that Brian Windhorst proceeded to report for ESPN on Wednesday morning that Durant had not requested a trade, only to have Stephen A. Smith declaring hours later that the Suns “want out of Kevin Durant.”

So, what can we take from all of this? Where Ishbia’s statement is concerned, it’s par for the course considering the fact that the Suns’ first season with Durant on the roster didn’t go well, a fact made more obtuse when considering the fact that he has joined Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. To that end, we can assume that ownership has not lost faith in what they have built. On the other hand, it would be naive to think that Durant’s age and stage don’t add an element of uncertainty. By the time the 2024-25 season begins, the 14-time All-Star will be 36 years old i.e., the time is now. So, with Ishbia’s stance made clear, it’s now a question of whether Durant and Co. can get it together.