Kevin Durant Shows Love to Suns After Rockets Trade, Says Every Stop Has Impact on Him

Kevin Durant "can't wait" to play for the Houston Rockets, but he is still thankful for his time with the Phoenix Suns.

Durant took to social media Sunday and expressed his appreciation for his teammates, the Suns' support staff and the franchise's overall "family" after he suited up for the team since the Brooklyn Nets traded him to Phoenix during the 2022-23 campaign:

The future Hall of Famer has played for the Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Nets and Suns during his career. That much movement for an all-time great is notable, although he said "all these stops along the journey have really impacted me in a positive way."

Unfortunately for Durant and the Suns, things didn't go quite as expected during his tenure with the team.

They never advanced past the second round of the playoffs with him on the roster and missed the postseason entirely in 2024-25. That was not his fault, as he was an All-Star in each of his two full seasons with Phoenix, but there wasn't a realistic push toward a championship.

Injuries and an inability to make impact moves at the trade deadline ultimately undercut Phoenix's efforts, but Durant will once again be under a potential championship spotlight with the Rockets.

After all, Houston finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference last season prior to a first-round loss to the Warriors. It needed a go-to scorer in the closing moments of those games, and Durant is someone who can fill that role as effectively as almost any player in league history.

The Rockets also bolstered their roster with the additions of Dorian Finney-Smith and Clint Capela and will be in championship-or-bust mode in the 2025-26 season.

It will be yet another stop in Durant's legendary career, and he made it clear Sunday he appreciates all of them.