The Phoenix Suns are entering the final days of the Kevin Durant saga, with a trade seemingly on the horizon. Just where the 36-year-old is going to call home next season hasn't quite been decided, although you can't fault the organization on how they have handled these last few weeks of the process in particular.
In another timeline it would be Bradley Beal heading for the exit door - but as a result of that no-trade clause - he isn't going anywhere. Which means the Suns have been forced instead to move on from Durant, as it is the only way they can change after two awful seasons that fell well short of expectations.
Durant was the person who pushed for Suns to trade for Beal.
With every NBA insider giving their two cents on the Durant situation, it was recently the turn of Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports to get involved. None of the information regarding trade packages or teams that have interest in the player was new, but what did catch the eye was when O'Connor mentioned that Durant told Vincent Goodwill (also of Yahoo Sports) that he pushed for the Beal deal.
Ouch.
So while the Suns are busy trying to figure out how to pivot from their current situation - knowing full well they can't move on from Beal - Durant is taking credit for him heading to Phoenix in the first place. If you cast your mind back to that period, then you'll remember that it was viewed as a master stroke that the Suns somehow turned an ageing Chris Paul into an All-Star level talent in Beal.
Not that he ever played like that once on the team, and really this is another reason for Durant and whoever trades for him to be careful what they wish for. He might come across as they guy who just wants to hoop - and in many ways he is - but let's not forget he doesn't mind using his star status to also have the organization he is playing for make decisions he's happy with.
Out of Kevin Durant's preferred trade destinations, he specifically wants to play for the Spurs, according to The Athletic. pic.twitter.com/gBG9cGlURa
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 17, 2025
Who could forget when he was part of the Brooklyn Nets, and wanted them to bring in DeAndre Jordan and the expense of Jarrett Allen. Or that he wanted General Manager Bobby Marks - plus head coach Steve Nash - fired from that team or else he wanted out of Brooklyn. Nash might not have coached in the league since, but it doesn't mean Durant was right either.
If anything the Nets have been stuck in mediocrity ever since they traded for Durant - and added Kyrie Irving and James Harden - before watching them all walk away. Prior to that they were a fun group that even made the playoffs together. Kind of like how the Suns were a finals team as recently as 2021, before gutting the roster to bring in Durant.
The franchise may have said in the past that they would try to do right by Durant whenever a deal was finally agreed upon. But given that he left them stuck with the $110 million remaining on Beal's contract for the next two seasons on his way out the door, perhaps owner Mat Ishbia will change his mind on that way of doing business.