The Phoenix Suns and owner Mat Ishbia have already “turned the page” from the Kevin Durant era in The Valley, only for it to crop back up ahead of the 2026-27 season.
After Ishbia’s recent comments that he “kind of just threw money at the problem” and that “bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily lead to championships,” KD fired back at his former boss—teeing up a budding rivalry between his former squad and his new home with the Houston Rockets.
Suns-Rockets rivalry will be one to watch this season
Ishbia’s comments seemed innocuous enough. It is objectively true that simply bringing in talented (and expensive) players does not always lead to championships. Culture, team chemistry, and roster fit are all more important factors with regard to winning when compared with sheer star power. Even LeBron James’ stacked Miami Heat squads didn’t win a title in their first year.
Nevertheless, Durant took offense to the comments and opted to respond without using one of his burner accounts. KD previously said he felt “scapegoated” by the Suns after the franchise finished 10 games under .500 and failed to even reach the playoffs with Durant under head coach Mike Budenholzer. We’ve made the argument here that the Suns’ inability to find the right coach (coupled with the ill-fated Bradley Beal trade) was the bigger reason the Durant era fizzled in Phoenix.
From there, the Suns insisted on landing culture-setter Dillon Brooks from Houston in the Durant trade, and the early returns were as advertised. The Suns shattered preseason expectations to win 45 games, reaching the Play-In Tournament. The Suns ultimately reached the playoffs proper before getting swept out of the first round by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was a similar story in the regular season against the Rockets, as the Suns went 0-4 against Durant’s new squad a season ago—something they’ll no doubt look to remedy this season. Durant played in three of those four Rockets wins, averaging 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists against his former team.
The future Hall of Famer notably buried the Suns with a game-winning 3-point dagger a season ago as well. The animosity Durant shows for his former team makes the Suns-Rockets matchups appointment viewing for fans of each franchise.
When is the Suns next game against Kevin Durant and the Rockets?
The Suns' first game against the Rockets this coming season will be at home on Nov. 7. It remains to be seen if Durant will enter that contest healthy enough to play, but Suns fans will no doubt be geared up for that meeting.
While KD takes the matchup personally, Brooks and fellow trade acquisition Jalen Green should also be looking to stick it to their former team. In any case, highlight this one on your calendar.
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