The Phoenix Suns officially parted ways with Kevin Durant this summer - and the further removed both sides get from one another - the more we will wonder what could have been. There is no doubt that despite the lack of postseason success and relatively short amount of time that Durant called The Valley home, that he was still one of the best players to ever put on a Suns jersey.
The 36-year-old is now with the Houston Rockets, and the roster he is now part of looks like it was built with him in mind as the missing piece. Center Alperen Sengun is a superstar in the making, while Amen Thompson is already one of the best two-way players in the league. Add a closer like Durant to the mix, and there's a reason plenty of people are high on the Rockets heading into next season.
Durant reveals he could play for Team USA again in 2028.
Looking to the future - and the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 - and few would expect Durant to take part. He's already the most successful male basketball player in his country's history, and the four gold medals he has already amassed is going to be tough to beat. Yet according to Durant himself, he's up for playing in 2028 as long as he is "not washed".
KD On playing in the 2028 Olympics 😂 “If I’m still me I’ll play I don’t want that veteran sit on the end of the bench and get your 5th”via @ashtenjewell pic.twitter.com/WjdgJFEHqy
— Swish Cultures (@swishcultures_) September 17, 2025
It is clear from the video that Durant is having some fun with the question, but it does throw up an interesting thought exercise as it pertains to the Suns. There is no doubt they had to make big changes this offseason, but was getting rid of Durant the right thing to do? After all, his time in Phoenix saw him being 90 percent of the offensive specimen he's always been.
The shortcomings of the team weren't his fault, he actually held up his end of the bargain. It was poor trades by the front office combined with being in the second apron which meant the roster couldn't be built to get the most out of Durant and Devin Booker as a tandem. Worst of all, the franchise appeared to fix the biggest mistake they made while they had Durant, but they did so too late.
Buying out Bradley Beal - even if he's going to be on their salary cap for the next five seasons - was undoubtedly the right decision. Doing this would have allowed the Suns to get more aggressive in trades once more, and perhaps could have even led to them landing Jonathan Kuminga to pair alongside Durant and Booker. We now know what they have to do to get that done.
But if Durant really believes there's a chance he can be on Team USA in 2028 - and not as a token gesture at the end of the bench either - then the Suns gave up on him that year too soon. Remember, there was no outward pressure that we were aware of to end Durant's tenure in The Valley. A potentially devastating mistake that the Suns won't feel the full force of for years to come.