Amid Kevin Durant trade rumors, Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia declared that the superstar isn’t available.
Ahead of Wednesday night’s NBA Draft, Ishbia wrote on social media that some storylines around the league “are just wrong.”
“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,” Ishbia said. “Gotta love draft night! Go Suns.”
After sending Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets exchanged draft picks with the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. As part of the deal, Houston received the right to swap their first-round pick or the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first with Phoenix’s first in 2025.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said the Rockets want Durant, and giving the Suns back their 2025 pick would make it “far easier” to land the four-time scoring champion. However, the insider wrote minutes later the Sun “made it clear” they want to return their current group next season.
Shortly after Ishbia purchased the team, Phoenix acquired Durant and T.J. Warren from Brooklyn for Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four unprotected first-round picks. The Denver Nuggets booted the Suns in the second round en route to a 2023 championship.
Durant played his most games (75) since 2018-19 during the 2023-24 campaign and finished on the All-NBA Second Team with 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. Yet the high-powered trio of Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal got swept out of the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A disappointing finish has sparked speculation of a rebuild, but Ishbia insisted that Durant isn’t going anywhere this offseason.