The Phoenix Suns have had a tough season, and it has not done the legacy of Kevin Durant any favors either. He's undoubtedly going to the Hall of Fame one day, while his offensive output on most nights is as good as its ever been. Go a layer below that however, and it remains to be seen just how much the 36-year-old is able to swing games in the Suns' favor like he used to.
With no notable postseason success with the Suns - an arguably the Brooklyn Nets before that - Durant's career is coming to a close in a very different manner to that of LeBron James for example. He's still capable of winning the Los Angeles Lakers games, while his new teammate Luka Doncic has in return given him a much better chance at capturing a fifth ring.
Durant's relationship with Mike Budenholzer is not helping his reputation.
It doesn't take a psychologist to see that both Durant and head coach Mike Budenholzer don't appear to be the best of friends. That is a setup that can absolutely work, and it wouldn't be an issue if the Suns were winning games. Only they're not, and we've now had two occasions in the last number of weeks where the pair have appeared to clash during a game.
The most recent coming in a loss to the Lakers, with Durant standing up and towering over Budenholzer early in the game during a timeout, clearly annoyed by something. Logan Murdock of The Ringer has appeared to come forward with what exactly that is, with Durant seemingly in favor of simplifying the offense. Coach Bud however, wants to continue running his more complicated sets.
If that is the case, Durant actually has a point here. The Suns have himself, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal - and if you just give the three of them the ball and tell them to go to work - good things are going to happen. Where coach Budenholzer is correct however, is the fact the team needs to have plays it can fall back when the going gets tough.
No team has ever freestyled their way through four rounds in the postseason - and although this group is a million miles from that end goal - coach Bud still has to prepare like that is going to happen. Unfortunately for him it could yet cost him his job, although the long-term implications for Durant could be a lot worse.
For starters it drives down an asking price for a star that probably isn't even as high as you think anyway, as he is getting more of a reputation as a guy who will argue with the coaching staff. It doesn't do a ton for his legacy either, as the only place he has been successful since leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder is the Golden State Warriors.
The same organization that has Jimmy Butler smiling like seemingly never before, and who behind Stephen Curry expect you to fall in line with how they do things over there. Which Durant did when he was in San Francisco, but we have not seen him do this season in Phoenix. This relationship is beyond repair then - and as of this moment - it looks like neither will stick around next season to move past it.