NBA Rumors: Kevin Durant 'Never Felt Comfortable' With Role in Vogel's Suns Offense

The 2023-24 Phoenix Suns will go down as one of the most expensive disappointments in NBA history, and Kevin Durant may want changes heading into next season.

Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic reported Durant "never felt comfortable" with his role in the offense under coach Frank Vogel. The future Hall of Famer reportedly felt not enough plays were drawn up for him and that he was "relegated to the corner far too often."

Durant had 33 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Sunday's Game 4 season-ending loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he took only 17 shots despite having the hot hand. He knocked down 55.2 percent of his shots for the series but took no more than 18 shots in any game. Over the course of the regular season, Durant averaged 19.1 shots per game, which is slightly above his career average (18.7).

Guard Devin Booker told reporters the Suns' failure came down to their lack of focus on the "details."

"Roster-wise, everybody talks about the firepower, but you look around the league: It comes down to the details," Booker told reporters. "I don't want to keep saying that, but it's a super important thing. You can't just go out there and think you're going to win off talent. The game is more complicated than that."

The buck could stop with head coach Frank Vogel, who just finished up his first season in Phoenix. Charania and Haller reported Vogel struggled to reach his star-laden roster, and the front office will consider making a change at coach for the second straight offseason. Vogel signed a five-year, $31 million contract with the Suns last offseason.

While Vogel's underperformance as a coach can't go ignored, the front office also saddled him with a flawed roster. Durant, Booker and Bradley Beal were always an awkward mix of stars. All three are natural scorers first and facilitators second; none excel at being the lead ball-handler and keeping the offense flowing.

The Suns' all-in move for their three stars also left them without much depth elsewhere on the roster, which will likely be the focus of general manager James Jones this offseason.