Kevin Durant remains a key player for the Phoenix Suns, recently defending himself against a journalist’s claim that the Suns had put him up for trade. Trade rumors are nothing new for Durant, but given the Suns’ significant financial investment in him, there was notable disappointment with his performance last season.
Phoenix had high hopes of reaching the NBA Finals after pairing Durant with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. However, they faced a disheartening exit in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, being swept 4-0 by the Minnesota Timberwolves. This led many media members to predict imminent changes in Arizona.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Houston Rockets showed interest in a deal with Phoenix after acquiring future draft picks from the Nets. On the same day, Stephen A. Smith claimed on ESPN’s “First Take” that Phoenix wanted to trade Durant, stating, “They want out of Kevin Durant right now.”
Durant responded to these stories, dismissing them as attempts to generate clicks, citing his history as a reason why his name is often used for attention. “You could just press the ‘KD want to leave’ button anytime you want some attention,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “Yes, it’s a button. What else is gonna get people going around this time? Besides, ‘Oh, the journeyman is leaving again.’ That story is always gonna hit.”
This sentiment aligns with what Suns general manager James Jones said when asked about Smith’s comments, reaffirming Phoenix’s stance. “It’s the question, it’s the topic of discussion, it’s the stuff that gets clicks that everyone wants to talk about,” Jones told reporters. “But I think I said it specifically back on May 19th when I was asked are we trading Kevin Durant. I said ‘no’ then, I’ll say ‘no’ now.”