Durant and Suns Owner Ishbia Clash Over Phoenix Tenure Retrospective

Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia's recent comments regarding Kevin Durant's tenure with the team have ignited a public exchange with the Rockets star forward. Durant, who spent two and a half seasons in Phoenix, responded on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, stating, "#blameKD even though KD stayed on top of his game at 36 and got u back this 'culture' you love so much." He further expressed his disbelief at Ishbia's framing, adding, "Aye, Matthew acts like I got arrested for a DUI or sumn." Ishbia, in a subsequent response, clarified that he did not blame Durant for the Suns failing to meet expectations but reiterated his satisfaction with the current culture being built in Phoenix, wishing Durant well in Houston.

The genesis of this discussion traces back to February 2023, when Ishbia purchased the Suns for a valuation of $4 billion. Shortly after, he orchestrated a blockbuster trade to acquire Durant, sending key players Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, alongside four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap, to the Brooklyn Nets. Durant's time in Phoenix, however, resulted in only a single playoff series victory.

Ishbia recently reflected on the acquisition of Durant during an appearance on CNBC Sport, describing it as a significant lesson learned early in his journey as an NBA owner. He recounted his initial approach: "When I bought the team, the team was I think the eighth or ninth seed. We had some good young players [and I was] like, 'Can we get over the top?' I was basically told like, 'Hey, as an owner, stay out of it.' And so, I said, 'Listen, we'll go into the luxury tax. Go do whatever it takes to try to win a championship.' We did that." However, Ishbia admitted to a change in philosophy, stating, "What I've learned, my biggest lesson is it's not positive or negative on Kevin Durant. We have to define what we're about in Phoenix, stick with it and believe in our vision and our path. I didn't do that at the beginning. I kind of just threw money at the problem."

Durant, a future Hall of Famer, maintained impressive performance levels during his final season with the Suns, averaging 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over 62 games. Notably, he has averaged at least 25 points, 50% field goal shooting, and 40% on 3-pointers for four consecutive seasons, marking the longest such streak in NBA history, according to ESPN Research. Despite his individual prowess, Ishbia ultimately concluded that the acquisition "was not aligned with my vision."

Following that season, the Suns traded Durant to Houston in the 2025 offseason, a transaction that made history as the NBA's first seven-team trade. Ishbia detailed the subsequent strategic shift: "After that year, I decided to trade Kevin Durant, bring in my GM [Brian Gregory], bring in a coach [Jordan Ott] and get extremely involved personally with the type of guy and type of person we want in our organization, not just on the court, but off the court. There was not a defined culture and North Star where we were going. Therefore, bringing in super-talented players like Kevin Durant doesn't necessarily lead to championships." Durant is now entering his second season with the Houston Rockets, having signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension last October that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.