2025 Suns Player Review: You know who he is, he’s Kevin Durant

The Suns’ best player? The team’s only reliable scoring option?

Welcome to our Phoenix Suns Season in Review series, where we take a closer look at each player who suited up during the 2024–25 campaign. One by one, we’ll break down what went right, what went wrong, and what each player can do to take the next step heading into next season.

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We begin our player review series with the man who has led the Phoenix Suns in scoring each of the past two seasons — earning All-Star honors both years — Kevin Durant, a top-20 player in NBA history.

Durant has long been a polarizing figure, not for his game, but for his unapologetic presence in the digital discourse. He doesn’t shy away from the noise; he meets it head-on. But when the conversation shifts to basketball, the debate ends. Durant is one of the purest scorers the league has ever seen.

Success hasn’t yet followed him to Phoenix in the form of deep playoff runs, but make no mistake, his time in the Valley has been a basketball masterclass in offensive production. Since arriving, Durant has averaged 26.8 points per game, and his 2024–25 season was no different. The numbers speak loudly. The production remains elite. And even as Father Time quietly approaches, Durant continues to carve up defenses with the ease and grace that define his Hall of Fame career.

Kevin Durant

• Position: Forward
• Vitals: 6’11”, 240 pounds, 36 years old
• Experience: 16 years
• Stats: 62 GP, 26.6 PPG (52.7 FG%,43.0 3PT%, 83.9 FT%), 4.2 APG, 6.0 RPG, 3.1 TOV

Contract Details

Durant is set to earn $54.7 million next season, the final year of the four-year, $197.7 million contract he signed with the Brooklyn Nets back in August 2021. He’s eligible to become an unrestricted free agent ahead of the 2026–27 season. Now on his third max deal, Durant is reportedly seeking an extension, one the Phoenix Suns chose not to offer before the 2024–25 campaign began.

That decision looms large heading into a pivotal offseason where a potential trade could be on the table. Any team interested in acquiring Durant will need to factor in more than just his on-court value. They’ll also have to be prepared to sign him to that two-year maximum extension. If they’re not willing to commit, Durant’s not likely to show much interest in suiting up for them.

Is that Phoenix’s problem? Not really. But it absolutely becomes a complication for any would-be trade partner. Without some assurance that Durant will stay beyond a single season, his value drops significantly. A one-year rental, even one as talented as Kevin Durant, is a far cry from a long-term cornerstone.

Regular Season Recap

Kevin Durant delivered a stellar regular season, and from the outset, it was clear just how essential he was to the Suns’ success. He didn’t just contribute. He carried them, especially early. Through the first nine games, Durant was the steady hand guiding Phoenix to an 8–1 start, navigating tightly contested matchups that demanded poise and precision.

Seven of those games went into Clutch time, and the Suns went a perfect 7–0 in them, thanks largely to Durant’s brilliance. In those high-pressure moments, he led the entire league in clutch scoring, averaging five points per game on a blistering 63.2% shooting. When the game tightened, Durant didn’t flinch. He elevated. And in doing so, he reminded everyone why he remains one of the most feared closers in the game.

But then came the setback. Durant missed the next seven games due to injury, and the Suns unraveled, going 0–7 in his absence. That stretch served as a microcosm of the entire season. When Durant was on the court, Phoenix had a fighting chance. When he wasn’t, they were lost.

Durant appeared in 62 games, during which the Suns posted a 33–29 record. He recorded five double-doubles and played at an elite level nearly every night. But in the 20 games he missed? The team managed just three wins, finishing 3–17.

It was a telling statistic. His presence didn’t just elevate the Suns, it sustained them. And along the way, there were historic milestones too, none more memorable than the night Durant became just the ninth player in NBA history to eclipse 30,000 career points. A moment of greatness amid a season of turbulence.

Durant finished the season with a 116.5 offensive rating, a 117.4 defensive rating, and a net rating of -1.9, numbers that reflect both his individual brilliance and the uneven nature of the team around him.

Say what you will about Kevin Durant — the personality, the tweets, the way he navigates criticism — but his on-court production remains undeniable. He continues to operate as one of the most skilled offensive players in the league, capable of getting a bucket from anywhere, against anyone.

And defensively? Quietly, he was one of Phoenix’s best. Arguably their top defender. At the very least, he belonged in the team’s top three. That may say more about the Suns’ roster construction than it does about Durant’s defensive prowess, but it’s a testament to his effort and versatility all the same.

His season came to an early end on March 30, when he stepped on the foot of Jabari Smith Jr. and twisted his left ankle. It cost him the final seven games of the year. And the Suns felt every bit of that absence.

Biggest Strength

Scoring. Pure and simple.

Kevin Durant remains one of the greatest offensive weapons this league has ever seen. His ability to score at all three levels is not just elite. It’s generational. While he may not always be labeled a three-point marksman, the numbers tell a different story: 6.0 attempts per game and a blistering 43% from deep. That led the team among players who appeared in at least 40 games.

Durant was the Suns’ ultimate offensive safety valve. Anytime momentum started to slip or an opposing run threatened to swing the game, all Phoenix had to do was get the ball in his hands. More often than not, he’d shut the door on the other team and remind everyone exactly who he is.

Biggest Weakness

Ball handling.

It’s something Dave King pointed out when Durant first arrived in Phoenix, and it still holds true. Because of his height, Durant’s dribble naturally travels a long path — from his hand to the floor and back — giving defenders more opportunities to disrupt his handle. And given that he’s often guarded by long, active defenders, the ball is at constant risk.

But it’s not just a matter of physics. Durant can be loose with the ball, and the numbers back it up. He committed 190 turnovers this season, second-most on the team. His turnover ratio of 1.38 ranked just 13th among Suns players. For all his offensive brilliance, ball security remains a noticeable flaw in his game.

Likelihood of Return: 1-10 scale

I’m giving this one a three. All signs point toward a reset, and I truly believe Kevin Durant will be traded this offseason. Obviously, a lot hinges on the direction set by the new head coach and how that vision aligns with the front office, but it’ll also come down to the return.

Still, I just don’t see a scenario where the Suns move forward with a player entering his fourth max extension as a foundational piece. The new CBA simply doesn’t support that kind of roster construction. At some point, Phoenix will have to face the consequences of going all-in, and that likely means moving on from the Durant deal.

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Overall Grade: A

All right. Here’s where I lay it all out. My thoughts on Kevin Durant.

Grading him isn’t easy, because like the man himself, what Durant represents as a member of the Phoenix Suns is complicated. As a pure basketball player? He’s an A. Hell, you could argue an A+. He has All-NBA-level talent, but he didn’t play enough games, and, well, the team was bad. And that matters.

Does Durant bear responsibility for how disappointing this season was? Yes and no. Yes, because he’s part of the team. A major part. You don’t get to average nearly 30 a night and then step aside from the accountability conversation. But also no, because there are things outside his control. The coaching situation clearly wasn’t ideal, something the franchise basically admitted when they fired Mike Budenholzer after one season. Durant can’t shoot for his teammates. He can’t make them rotate defensively. And while leadership matters, and holding others accountable is part of that, there’s a limit. You can guide, suggest, and challenge. But you can’t make someone care.

That’s the tension with Durant. He’s great. He’s committed. And he might not be enough.

It’s a complicated relationship with Kevin Durant. I know that firsthand as someone who’s covered the team, interacted with the player via social media, and rooted for him. I’ve always loved Kevin Durant. When he came to Phoenix, I was genuinely overjoyed. Watching him every night has been a pleasure. The man is poetry on the court.

But behind the scenes? It can be frustrating.

If you write anything critical, he’s quick to come after you. He wants the positivity. And my honest question has always been: Why do I only hear from him when something negative is said? When I write something positive, it’s radio silence. That dynamic creates a tension, one that undoubtedly influences how I perceive his play, his impact, and his presence on this team.

It’s been a layered, at times conflicted experience. Loving the player, wrestling with the person. A complicated relationship with one of the greatest talents I’ve ever watched.

So, what grade do I give him? An A. Kevin Durant is a phenomenal player on the court, there’s no question about that. Off the court? That’s a different conversation, but it’s not what we’re here to discuss.

The numbers tell the story. The Suns went 3–17 in the games Durant missed, reverting to a version of the team we haven’t seen since the 2018 Suns. When Durant wasn’t out there, the team’s flaws became glaring. If he’s going to depart, this organization needs to take a long, hard look at how to replace what he brings to the table, both in the clutch and as a primary scoring option. Replacing his impact won’t be easy, but it’s a reality they’ll need to face.

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