Stephen A. Smith: Kevin Durant is Massive Problem for Suns

The Phoenix Suns have plenty of problems - but a big one is Kevin Durant, according to Stephen A. Smith.

Apr 23, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) walks back to the / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns have a few problems to solve before the 2024-25 season gets underway.

The organization believes they already have one elixir after firing Frank Vogel and bringing on Mike Budenholzer.

Now, attention turns to the roster.

The Suns won 49 games last year and secured the West's no. 6 seed before being swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Phoenix - with their star-studded roster - was left in shock after pushing all of their metaphorical chips to the middle of the table.

You'll hear various viewpoints on why the Suns crashed out of the postseason far too early, though ESPN's Stephen A. Smith didn't mince words this morning on First Take:

"All of us covering the NBA are fully aware of Kevin Durant in Phoenix is a problem. It is a problem. We don't see it because the stats are there. Him and Booker average 27 points per game and what have you. But they say Kevin Durant is never happy," said Smith.

"They say that he went more than a month without even talking to the head coach. They say that he doesn't look happy there and all he wants to do is play when the game starts and tip-off time arrives, but when it comes to ingratiating yourself with your teammates and getting along with everybody and stuff like that, he just lives in his own world.

"He's not hated. He's not despised. He's not doing anything negative. He's not being somebody that's two-facing it behind people back, doing stuff. No, that's not who Kevin Durant is, but keeping to himself. Why does that matter? It's similar to what he was doing in Golden State before he ultimately departed, which is what was driving Draymond Green crazy, which is why they ultimately got into it on the court in that Clippers game and what have you. Because you hear stuff. You hear stuff.

"You hear about the level of unhappiness, etc, etc. and you get tired of it because when you don't want to talk - when you don't want to answer questions - you don't want to lead in a very visible way - well that forces other people to have to step up and take on a level of culpability that they don't want to stomach. And so because of all of that stuff, that's the untold stuff that's going on in Phoenix.

"There's more than that. Make no mistake, it's not all on Kevin Durant. But that's a big, big part of it."

Those comments hinge off a report from The Athletic shortly after the Suns were bounced from postseason play highlighting Durant's displeasure with how Phoenix was utilizing him - you can read more about that here.

It's set to be another long offseason in the desert.