Suns Owner Shoots Down Kevin Durant Trade Rumors Ahead of NBA Draft

Mat Ishbia took to social media to dispel any rumors that Phoenix might move one of its superstars.

Oct 2, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (left) and forward Kevin Durant / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA draft is always an entertaining affair and Wednesday night's edition promises to be no different. But, contrary to many rumors and media segments, it does not seem like one of the game's biggest stars will be on the move.

After nearly 24 hours of speculation over whether forward Kevin Durant might get traded by the Phoenix Suns, owner Mat Ishbia decided it was time to step in. The Suns owner took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to announce to the world that everything is well in Arizona.

"NBA Draft night is the best," Ishbia wrote. "Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong. My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. Gotta love draft night! Go Suns."

NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong.
My turn. Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Kevin Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship this year because we have the team to do it. Gotta…

— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) June 26, 2024

The rumors first started on Tuesday night, when the Houston Rockets traded for the rights to all the picks the Suns gave up to land Durant in the first place. Adrian Wojnarowski reported for ESPN that the Rockets got those picks with the intention of trading for Durant and the idea that the future Hall of Famer was on his way out gained steam. While Brian Windhorst reported for ESPN on Wednesday morning that Durant had not asked for a trade, Stephen A. Smith emphatically reported that the Suns "want out of Kevin Durant" only a few hours later.

All the noise presumably stirred Ishbia into action, and what he said shouldn't come as a surprise. The public messaging from the Suns has consistently been that, despite a rough first year with the Durant/Devin Booker/Bradley Beal trio, they will be giving it an earnest try again next season. Their first-round sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves has apparently not dampened the franchise's enthusiasm for the core.

However, as the basketball world has come to learn, Durant's status is anything but certain. The Suns are his third team in five years and he will be 36 years old when the 2024-25 season tips off. That makes for a lot of uncertainty for both team and player; the Rockets are now extremely well-positioned to capitalize if both sides decided a split would be best.

But Ishbia is making it clear that anybody hoping for a Durant draft night trade is going to be disappointed.