Kevin Durant took issue with Suns owner Mat Ishbia's framing of his short tenure in Phoenix on X, responding to Ishbia's comments about the team's culture.
"#blame KD even though KD stayed on top of his game at 36 and got you back this 'culture' you love so much," Durant posted. "Aye, Matthew acts like I got arrested for a DUI or sumn."
Ishbia replied that he didn't blame Durant for the Suns falling short but emphasized he's "happy with the culture we are building here in Phoenix. We got the right guys and right focus now and are excited for this season. Good luck this season in Houston."
Ishbia acknowledged acquiring Durant was a lesson learned early in his ownership. The blockbuster trade in February 2023 sent Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap to Brooklyn.
"When I bought the team, the team was I think the eighth or ninth seed... Can we get over the top?" Ishbia said. "I basically just threw money at the problem."
Durant averaged 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 62 games in his final Suns season before being traded to Houston in the 2025 offseason. He enters his second season in Houston after signing a two-year, $90M extension last October.
Source: ESPN NBA · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing