Will Kevin Durant get his jersey retired by the Suns?

Whenever he decides to call it a carerr, the soon to be 36-year-old Kevin Durant is going to go down as one of the 20 best players to ever play the game. Depending on your opinion of him, that positioned could be even higher.

If it is lower, then that is likely because of how he conducted himself off the court. In terms of pure basketball skill - as well as love for the game - we've never quite seen somebody quite like Durant. A four-time scoring champion - a number which somehow feels low - who has also been an underrated defensive player as well.

But will the Suns ever retire his number 35?

This is a difficult question to answer, although there is on solution that would quickly turn this into a yes. If Durant can be in The Valley if they ever win their first ever championship, then his number is going in the rafters alongside Devin Booker. At that point Bradley Beal may even be the conversation... alright maybe we're getting a little carried away.

But what if - outside of being named an All-Star again which everybody expects - Durant never has another individual accolade go his way, and the Suns also don't win a championship? We don't even mean MVP - that doesn't seem likely to happen - but rather lead the league in scoring again, or even 3-point shooting percentage.

That is where the past comes into play - and ultimately works against Durant - and it comes down to two factors. One of which he may be able to get by. The trickier of the two is the fact that Durant doesn't feel like he belongs to Phoenix, and he never will. At this point it's hard to know where he belongs, his career turning him into something of a nomad.

Rookie Kevin Durant played for a franchise in the Seattle Supersonics that doesn't exist anymore, while an older generation of fans remember him most fondly for those super fun Oklahoma City Thunder teams. He won league MVP there, but the pair of championships and Finals MVPs that he picked up was achieved with the Golden State Warriors.

Going there will always leave a sour taste in the mouths of fans, although skipping town for the Brooklyn Nets may have been even worse. That "super team" doing - nothing at all really. Which is why Durant can never truly win either, he's either ridiculed for winning it all with stars - which is exactly what he'd be doing again in Phoenix - or failing alongside elite teammates.

Outside of a championship, there's nothing that is going to ever make Durant feel more like a Suns player than he already is, and that's not his fault. He's been great to the fans and looks like he enjoys being there, he just arrived with baggage and into his thirties.

The other obstacle to get over - if Durant even cares - is the issue of longevity. Luckily for him, there's a previous example he can look towards to help his case. Tom Chambers is beloved by a certain generation of fans in The Valley, and his number 24 has been retired by the organization. Yet he only played five seasons in Phoenix.

His best work was arguably done in Seattle as well, although Chambers does hold the single-season record for points per game for the Suns at 27.2. As we've already discussed though, Durant sits in second at 27.1 and could break that as soon as this season. Before Devin Booker likely overtakes both to make that and every other notable record in franchise history his own.

Durant also figures to break this impressive milestone in 2024-25, although that alone is not enough to see his number retired. Chambers was also durable during his time with the team and amassed an impressive 443 appearances, whereas Durant is yet to even crack 100 (he's sitting on 98 currently). Could Durant ultimately play more games for the Suns than Chambers?

His age and injury history make that seem unlikely, although it is hard to imagine Durant doing anything else but playing basketball. His good friend LeBron James will continue into his 40th year at least - and if Durant were to try and do the same - that would give him at least four more seasons in the league. It is not a given he would do all of this in Phoenix though.

Chambers did also come off the bench in more games than Durant has even played (107), so there could be some hope for him yet. Tipping the scales in his favor even further is just how great a player he has been, and the fact that not every franchise is blessed with having a Kevin Durant come through during their career.

Charles Barkley may have seemed like a more obvious comparison to make given he only spent four seasons with the Suns, but he was the league MVP and he brought them to the finals. When you think of Barkley the player, more often than not it is in the purple of the Suns. His relationship with the franchise is different, and comparing them feels wrong. All to do for Durant on this one then.