Kevin Durant admitted he’s “stuck in our ways” about tenure in Phoenix
The The Phoenix Suns were one of the surprises of the NBA season so far, finds himself in a solid postseason position after many expected this to be a rebuilding year. The reason for that expectation was the team Kevin Durant trade to the Houston Rockets last summer, ending a disastrous 2.5-year streak of just one playoff win.
Now, Durant is thinking about it what went wrong during his time in Phoenix, when he was paired with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
“I don’t want to downplay what we did during my time in Phoenix, because I feel like I had some great moments on the court there, too. But I feel like we’re an older group that was stuck as veterans — and veterans do their own thing a lot,” Durant said during a recent interview with Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon, via Hoop Olajuwon , via Hoop Olajuwon .
“When you’re with a younger group, it’s tighter. Everyone’s learning together. There’s more of a college feel, and I think that’s the difference,” he added.
Indeed, the Suns didn’t seem to play much as a unit during Durant’s time there, as Phoenix often found itself with four players standing around watching one of its max-contract stars play one-on-one, resulting in a product that was far less than the sum of its parts.
The Suns were knocked out of the playoffs in 2024 before missing the postseason entirely in 2025, opening the door for Durant to leave this summer.
This year, Phoenix is playing a much more team-oriented style of basketball, with Dillon Brooks set to garner All-Star consideration for a resurgent career and Booker providing a steady leader to lead the offense.
If Jaylen Green can ever get on the floor, the Suns could be a threat come playoff time.
2026-02-09 23:23:00
