Kevin Durant Reportedly Rubbed 'The Wrong Way' by Suns' NBA Trade Deadline Talks

Kevin Durant wasn't thrilled to be dangled in trades only to ultimately remain with the Phoenix Suns through the NBA trade deadline, according to The Athletic's Doug Haller, Sam Amick and Fred Katz.

They described it as "a process that rubbed Durant the wrong way" in report Monday.

With the deadline fast approaching, the Suns put together a deal that would've sent Durant to the Golden State Warriors and landed them Jimmy Butler. KD, however, didn't relish a return to the Bay Area.

The Warriors pivoted and wound up acquiring Butler themselves.

Phoenix was left unable to find a workable solution on a Durant trade, while fellow star Bradley Beal utilized his no-trade clause to full effect. As a result, the Suns couldn't make any midseason upgrades, and two of their biggest names knew the front office deemed them expendable.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported on Feb. 6 that the atmosphere around the team was "toxic" at the deadline:

With the Suns' season now over after they failed to even qualify for the Play-In Tournament, The Athletic reported they're "widely expected to trade Kevin Durant this summer," which echoes what has been the general narrative for more than a month.

The 6'11" forward averaged 26.6 points on 52.7 percent shooting, including 43.0 percent from beyond the arc. Even deep into his 30s, he remains an elite scorer and an offensive fulcrum who fits easily into any roster.

At the same time, Durant and Phoenix's relationship is probably beyond salvaging. It's also clear the Big Three formula of Durant, Beal and Devin Booker guarantees nothing in terms of team success.

Instead, the experiment has been a massive failure and the hope for Phoenix is that trading away Durant might yield a return that can change its fortunes on the court.