Ishbia: 'A Lot Easier Winning with Kevin Durant Than Without Him' Despite Trade Rumors

Amid rumors and speculation of a potential Kevin Durant trade this coming offseason, Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia commented this week on KD's future with the franchise.

Speaking to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Ishbia didn't make a commitment one way or the other, saying:

"I'll just say that we're going to evaluate in the offseason. We're going to find a way to win, and it's probably a lot easier winning with Kevin Durant than without him. But at the same time, yes, if we're not good enough in this iteration of the Phoenix Suns, we're going to find a way to be better next year."

The Suns acquired Durant in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season, just two years after losing in the NBA Finals.

Injuries limited KD to just eight regular-season games after the trade, and Phoenix was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.

Entering last season, the Suns made another splashy trade with the acquisition of Bradley Beal from the Washington Wizards, giving them a core of Durant, Beal and Devin Booker.

While the Suns went 49-33 last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves swept them out of the first round of the playoffs.

Things have only gotten worse for Phoenix in 2024-25, as it is 11th in the Western Conference with a 30-36 record, meaning it wouldn't even make the postseason play-in tournament if the season ended today.

The 36-year-old Durant hasn't been the issue for the Suns, as he is averaging 26.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.5 three-pointers made and 1.3 blocks per game this season.

Because of his level of production, Durant figures to generate plenty of trade interest during the offseason, which was also the case leading up to this season's trade deadline.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania and Ohm Youngmisuk, one of Durant's former teams made a play for him at the deadline, however, KD had no interest in getting traded back to the Golden State Warriors.

While nothing materialized, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said last month on Get Up that Durant will "probably" get traded during the offseason, adding, "[Durant] knows it, the Suns know it, the rest of the league know it."

Given that teams figure to line up for the opportunity to land a future Hall of Famer who is still at the top of his game, it may be difficult for the Suns to turn down pieces that could aid them significantly in a rebuild.