ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JANUARY 14: Devin Booker #1 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns reacts … [+]
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Heading into the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns were already stuck in a tailspin. After jumping out to an 8-1 start to the season, they spent the next few months hovering around .500.
They might have sealed their long-term fate with what they did ahead of the trade deadline.
The Suns reportedly tried to acquire disgruntled Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, but Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause proved to be an insurmountable obstacle. That caused them to pivot to a few relatively minor acquisitions (Nick Richards, Cody Martin and Vasilije Micić).
However, they also entertained the possibility of trading star forward Kevin Durant. Had Durant greenlit a return to the Golden State Warriors, he’d likely be back in the Bay Area with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green right now.
Being included in trade talks rubbed Durant the wrong way, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Although he shot down a Warriors reunion ahead of the trade deadline, Durant explained during a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show that he did so because he was “committed to my teammates and coaches” and wanted to “see this through to the end.” But when asked whether he wants to end his career with the Suns, he replied, “I want my career to end on my terms; that’s the only thing I’m worried about.”