Disaster strikes as Suns' star set for MRI after suffering injury in latest loss

The Phoenix Suns' 2024-25 regular season cannot come to an end soon enough for their suffering fans, with many at this point not even caring if they make the play-in tournament. The main reason to still aim for that goal not the opportunity to make the playoffs - they'll get swiftly beaten anyway - but to ensure their first round pick doesn't end up being in the lottery before heading elsewhere.

The Houston Rockets will be the franchise who benefit from this as they are in control of the Suns' pick this summer, and they really rubbed their faces in it by hammering them 148-109 on Sunday to ensure the Suns remain in 11th spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets scoring 78 points in the first half alone.

Kevin Durant suffered a potentially devastating injury in the loss.

Durant has been the Suns' best player all season, and he had really turned it on throughout their recent four-game win streak to breathe some life into their faltering campaign. That came to a shuddering halt in Houston however, as an ankle sprain meant he only played 23 minutes in the defeat.

It was revealed shortly afterwards that Durant will have an MRI, to discover the extent of the sprain. It did not look great in the moment - and given the injury history of the 36-year-old - it will be an anxious wait for the organization. Depending on the severity of the injury, it could also have a long-term impact in Phoenix.

There will now be calls to shut it down for the rest of the campaign, re-group, and come back next season. Bradley Beal is also currently out, and it is unclear when he will be back. Complicating that particular scenario is the fact the Suns have looked better without Beal out there, with guys such as Ryan Dunn and Collin Gillespie taking their chance.

If the team do that however, they really will have waved the white flag on an experiment that they currently can't get out of. Booker hasn't asked for a trade yet - although there is one team he could have interest in joining - while Beal has a no-trade clause and isn't going anywhere. Durant was the player that the franchise had already looked to move, but this injury could change things.

Even if we have now seen the last time Durant will wear a Suns' uniform, the price to acquire him might just have gone down. The rumored asking price had been set at three first round picks and a young player with real upside, but other franchises will be wary of taking on a star with that many miles on the clock picking up another lower body injury.

Really though Durant was the best part about this otherwise awful season, and his scoring exploits were awesome to watch on a nightly basis. Yes he appeared to get into it some with head coach Mike Budenholzer, and his offense alone hasn't been able to swing results his side's way like in years gone by.

But the Suns got what they paid for when they gave up everything to acquire him, it is just unfortunate that the combination of players and coaches throughout Durant's tenure haven't fit together. A run at the play-in tournament was all this group had left to aim for, but the severity of this ankle sprain might