While the Phoenix Suns will have to fight through a second play-in tournament game to make the 2026 NBA playoffs, a former Sun is gearing up for his own playoff run with the Houston Rockets.
Kevin Durant, the future Hall of Famer whose time in The Valley ended with a season 10 games under .500 without a playoff berth, is back in the state where he played his college ball.
His Rockets wrapped up the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and are set to take on a banged up Los Angeles Lakers team in the first round.
Speaking with reporters ahead of his own playoff run, KD appeared to take another veiled shot at his former squad.
It wouldn’t be the first time Durant has sent verbal jabs back at the Suns organization. After hitting a game-winning dagger of a 3-pointer in early January against his former team, Durant didn’t mince words.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems that they had,” Durant said after defeating the Suns, per The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin. “It hurt because I put all my effort, love and care towards the Suns and Phoenix area and Arizona in general, but that’s just the business. That’s the name of the game.”
Durant was clearly rankled by his Suns exit, believing that he was “scapegoated” for the team’s shortcomings. Many fans would argue those shortcomings were actually rooted in Phoenix not having the right coach for the job when KD was around.
According to The Rockets Wire via X (previously Twitter), which is part of the USA TODAY Sports Media Group, Durant seemed to hint much of the same.
‘What a difference a year can make.’ Kevin Durant praises Rockets coach Ime Udoka
Speaking about what’s stood out to him about Houston coach Ime Udoka, Durant said the following:
“Attention to detail. He understands the game on a deeper level. … He’s created a great culture in the locker room.”
And on returning to the playoff atmosphere a year after missing out on a playoff berth with the Suns under former championship head coach Mike Budenholzer, Durant said, “What a difference a year can make.”
It’s difficult not to internalize that as a veiled shot at his former team. The falling out between KD and Phoenix, though, at least seems to have worked out for both parties.
The Suns got a culture reset with Dillon Brooks. And while Jalen Green missed most of the season due to injury, he played very well in the play-in loss against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Durant is clearly happier to be suiting up for a playoff team again, it’s just a shame that the relationship he now has with The Valley has grown to harbor clear discontent.
But as Suns owner Mat Ishbia said earlier this year, "we turned that page."
It's time for Durant to do the same.
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