Recent news suggests that the Phoenix Suns are contemplating severing their relationship with Kevin Durant. Understandably so, wouldn’t you agree?
Rumors circulating in NBA circles indicate that the Suns are intent on trading Durant away, with the Houston Rockets emerging as a plausible candidate. At the age of 35, Durant endured a rather disappointing first-round elimination with the Suns this postseason. Thus, the urge to secure more youthful talent is not surprising.
“Disregard the Suns’ official pronouncements; their genuine objective is to dissociate themselves from Kevin Durant at the earliest opportunity,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith proclaimed on air, alluding to information he claimed came from a source close to the situation.
A recount from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also indicates that the Rockets may not be mere spectators. They appear to be assessing their position with consideration.
“Retaining the third draft pick and their choice of UConn’s imposing center Donovan Clingan might reveal the Rockets’ willingness to engage in dialogue on their up-and-coming star in the key, Alperen Sengun,” Windhorst expounded, drawing on data from NBA Central. “Following Sengun’s injury, the Rockets showcased an impressive performance; they even situated Jabari Smith, last year’s premium draft pick, at the center position. Opting for Clingan could signal to those following the sport that the Rockets might be prepared to contemplate a transaction involving Sengun.”
The burgeoning link between Durant and the Rockets was initially brought to light by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In the 2023-24 season, Durant’s statistics included an average of 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, along with a 52.3% shooting success rate from field goals, 41.3% from beyond the arc, and an 85.6% proficiency at the free-throw line. The illustrious player is set to receive $49.9 million in the upcoming season.
NBA reporters Shams Charania and Doug Haller from The Athletic have noted that Durant was discontent with his role in the Suns’ strategies.
“Struggling to accommodate himself within the Suns’ offensive setup, Durant, despite his status as one of basketball’s most supreme scorilers, seemed misaligned with an approach that emphasized pick-and-roll and frequently positioned him on the periphery,” Charania and Haller pointed out. “Sources relayed to The Athletic that there was a mismatch between Durant’s acknowledged skills and the strategy that predominantly utilized pick-and-roll and relegated him to corner plays.”
Additionally, the belief among some of Durant’s contempor GOP es and those within the Suns’ infrastructure was that he ought to have conveyed his displeasure with the tactical approaches to Frank Vogel and his coaching staff more candidly.
Following his exit from the Golden State Warriors, Durant has seen his postseason triumphs diminish, only managing to get past the first round twice and suffering premature eliminations through sweeps on two occasions.
In a significant coaching change, the Suns hired Mike Budenholzer, who previously steered the Milwaukee Bucks to triumph against them in the 2021 NBA Finals.
