Brian Windhorst recently shed some light on the Kevin Durant/Phoenix Suns situation on NBA Today. Durant was nearly traded at the NBA Trade Deadline. However, he ultimately decided to stick it out with fledgling Suns for the rest of the regular season. However, recent dysfunction in the locker room coupled with clear frustration from Durant’s part has shown that the Suns are not heading a good direction.
“They’re going to trade him,” said Windhorst on Wednesday. “And he knows that. There’s been a couple of opportunities where he could have criticized them for trying to trade him. He has not done that. He has been very professional about this. I expect that to continue throughout the regular season. He’s going to try to win every game that he’s out there.
“I think he’s handled this very appropriately.”
Windhorst added that “everybody’s intentions are crystal clear.”
Phoenix is currently 11th in the Western Conference standings with a win-loss record of 27-31.
Kevin Durant Most Likely to be Traded in Offseason by Phoenix Suns
The Current State of the Phoenix Suns
The Suns went “all-in,” on acquiring star talents in Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant to join forces with Devin Booker. Unfortunately, it has backfired on them. In their most recent game on February 25th, the Suns suffered a 151-148 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Despite strong performances from Booker (28 points), Durant (26 points), and Beal (24 points), the team has struggled, winning only two of their last eleven games. The Suns’ defense is still abysmal. They are allowing an average of 126.4 points per game in February, the worst in the league for the month. Looking ahead, the Suns have a crucial two-game home series against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 27th and 28th. These games are vital for Phoenix to improve their standing and to potentially secure a spot in the Play-In Tournament which is drawing closer and closer.
If they can miraculously make the Play-In tournament and secure a playoff spot, matters with Durant could improve. However, that is a big “what if,” scenario at this point. As of February 26th, the Suns are 27th in team defensive rating (116.1), 18th in team defensive rebounding percentage (70.5 percent), and 25th in total rebounds per game (42.5). With key statistics like these in mind, it is hard to envision this squad securing a playoff spot, let alone making any noise in the Play-In Tournament. All in all, it looks like Kevin Durant’s days in Phoenix are numbered.
