Getty Image / Christian Petersen
The Phoenix Suns were probably the most disappointing team in the NBA last season, as the big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal looked like a disaster and failed to get out of the first round of the NBA playoffs. Many expect big changes to come to the team this offseason, including a possible trade involving Kevin Durant.
Those rumors heated up on Tuesday due to a series of transactions that put the Houston Rockets in a better position to acquire Kevin Durant, who many thought could request yet another trade. But, it appears that’s not happening, as Suns owner Mat Ishiba threw cold water on the idea.
Ishiba tweeted this out just hours before the NBA Draft on Wednesday. Some expect Wednesday night to be pretty action-packed in terms of trades.
NBA Draft night is the best. 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…— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) June 26, 2024
Now, we have to decide whether to take what he’s saying as the truth. And, I’m not sure we should.
The biggest variable is Kevin Durant himself. The legend is notoriously finicky when it comes to who he wants to play for, and has demanded multiple trades in his career, first to Brooklyn and then to Phoenix. He might be telling Mat Ishiba that he wants to be a Phoenix Sun right now but that doesn’t mean he will want to be in the future.
And, I happen to think Mat Ishiba is a pretty smart guy and knows that the Suns core likely isn’t good enough to win an NBA title and that they don’t have a lot of options for improving it. Meanwhile, teams would give up a ton of picks for Durant, who is nearing the end of his career and may be retired by the time they’re truly ready to compete for another title.
That being said, maybe Mat Ishiba truly does think this group of players could indeed win a title. I find that incredibly hard to believe. Bradly Beal isn’t the Bradley Beal of his prime, and if you’re paying a third star as much as the $50 million Bradley Beal is getting next year and that guy isn’t really moving the needle anymore, your roster is in serious trouble. That describes the Suns. Too much salary is tied up in those three players to have good role players outside of Grayson Allen. They’re simply not good enough to beat some of the best teams in the West that can go pretty deep.
It seems like the prudent move could be trading Kevin Durant. But, according to Mat Ishiba, it sounds like the Phoenix Suns will hang on to him. Hopefully, for Suns fans, this tweet was just some misdirection.