Kevin Durant unhappy with Phoenix Suns?
Apr 6, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against the Denver Nuggets in the first half at Footprint Center. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Firing head coach Frank Vogel might not have been enough for the Phoenix Suns to placate Kevin Durant.
Speaking Monday on “First Take,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said that the Durant situation in Phoenix is a “problem.” Smith also claimed that Durant went “more than a month” without talking to Vogel and added that Durant supposedly “lives in his own world” rather than building a bond with his Suns teammates.
Take a look at the video below.
.@stephenasmith says it's time to "disband" the Suns' big three 😳
"They're not a big three. They're a big three in money. They're a big three in name. But they ain't a big three in level of production." pic.twitter.com/90mqtmYzQJ
— First Take (@FirstTake) May 13, 2024
Smith’s comments are consistent with what we heard a few weeks ago about Durant. A report emerged suggesting that the former NBA MVP had been unhappy with his role in Vogel’s offense. Vogel was ultimately fired by the Suns after just one season in charge, and the team has since replaced him with Mike Budenholzer.
In any case though, Durant being dissatisfied with his team is a tale as old as time at this point. He has now left or otherwise forced his way off a total of three separate teams (Oklahoma City, Golden State, and Brooklyn). By far the most blatant example of Durant’s discontent came in Brooklyn when he demanded a trade and gave the Nets an ultimatum to fire both their head coach and their GM.
With Phoenix, Durant is still under contract through 2026 making roughly $51.1 million per year. But his role in the offense might not change much so long as Devin Booker and Bradley Beal remain the primary ball-handlers for the Suns. If not Durant however, it is possible that another member of that Big Three gets sent packing instead.