Kevin Durant is proving why the Suns should not even consider trading him

This should not be a discussion, with the Suns’ recent play it’s still obvious this duo can still thrive in the West even if they are getting older.

The Phoenix Suns have turned a new leaf recently; they are winners of four straight and six at home. With this recent success, things are evident in the Valley and how this team thrives.

The duo of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is that engine, and they can bring that fight every night, provided they are in the proper rotations. Since Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro have been reintroduced to this lineup as mainstays, the Suns are 5-2. The Suns, since inserting Collin Gillespie into the starting lineup following Bradley Beal’s injury, have also seen success in finding a gem.

Phoenix is 4-0 since he has been injected, too. Not to mention that the Suns this season have a record of 13-3, also without Beal.

Once again, this leads me to the point of this article. I’ll state this loud and clear.

Kevin Durant SHOULD NOT be traded.

No Sign Of Age

When looking at Kevin Durant as a player, the age-old question is when he will start to slow down. That is what everyone in Phoenix, at least, is discussing and debating. With him getting older and the Suns team being stuck with a $50+ million non-tradeable contract (NTC) in Beal, they assume he must be the one to take the fall and be traded.

As clear as day, there is no sign of slowing down in Kevin Durant’s game. The 15-time All-Star has demonstrated that he can still perform effectively throughout this season despite dealing with some injuries.

Durant is averaging 26.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.8 steals per game. The veteran is also shooting 52.8% from the field, 42.6% from three-point range, and 83.4% from the free-throw line on 37 minutes a night.

Not to mention that Durant has been the leading scorer alongside Booker in this last stretch; he just won Player of the Week for the Western Conference, leading the Suns to a 3-0 record. To cap it all off, last night in a rematch of the 2021 NBA Finals (a team Durant was not on), KD caught fire and dropped 38 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks. Pair that with seven threes and being the team’s leader. All I am seeing is a recipe for success in Phoenix.

If you put the right players around Kevin and Devin, they can win, and we have seen that over these last couple of games. The front office has failed them in this regard by making numerous trades and signings that did not enhance roster construction or draft flexibility. The rotations run by coach Mike Budenholzer have also cost this team the potential to be in a better situation than its current one.

He Does Not Want to Leave

Alongside all that information, Durant has also vocalized multiple times, throughout last free agency, this season, and after all the trade deadline turmoil, that he STILL wants to remain in Phoenix.

You can tell the infectious energy these new additions to the rotation have brought, and it has also been evident in Durant’s excellence on the court and happiness, as seen in Oso Ighodaro’s game-winning dunk. Not only do he and Devin Booker, the Suns’ franchise player, have a great relationship, but they also share great chemistry on the court. With Devin Booker resuming as the point guard, Tyus Jones moved to the bench, and with Bradley Beal injured, it has allowed him to grow his game alongside Durant as well.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

So why are they trying to trade one of their best players, who likes being here and has success in the lineup? That’s right, Bradley Beal’s contract.

Now, I do not fault Bradley for taking the contract, but I do fault the Suns’ front office for trading for it. Not only this, but they traded away a lengthy defender in Toumani Camara, who would have made a huge impact in Phoenix, similar to how he is in Portland now. The Suns also did not need the archetype of Jusuf Nurkic on this roster; they need an athletic center to work in the PnR with Booker.

He is a Role Model for the Team

When many people hear Kevin Durant’s name, they do not think of him as a good role model. After his move to the Warriors, many fans lost their patience with Durant, and that sour taste has never left their mouth. Sadly, they do not know the real Kevin Durant, the one who ultimately would do anything on the court to win. The one who has the tenacity of a wolverine fighting for his life in the media every day. This is not just due to the fact that he is an NBA player and is under so much scrutiny, but also because he is very passionate about social media.

Some may hate it, some may love it, but regardless of how YOU feel, the players on the team absolutely adore him, as he is a good person on and off the court.

First off, he and Devin Booker are good friends, and that relationship led to them teaming up to begin with. Not only does he have a good relationship with his co-star, but the young guns look up to him as well. Let’s not forget Durant was drafted in 2007; many guys on this team grew up idolizing him. We can see this in a bond with rookie Ryan Dunn. He went with him to attend his brother Justin’s minor league baseball game a while back.

We also see Durant form these relationships with young guns like Collin Gillespie.

Even with Collin stepping up for his teammate, Durant has also recently spoken out on Gillespie after his recent performances, returning the favor with kind words of his own.

What the Suns Should Do

With all that being said, the Sun’s owner, Mat Ishbia has stated multiple times he wants this team to compete and win. He even recently mentioned this in his recent sitdown with Tim McMahon from ESPN. Ishbia stated multiple ideas he had for the Suns, but two stuck with me.

1. He will NOT be trading Devin Booker
2. The Suns will be competing and not tanking

Hearing both of these statements gives you confidence that the Suns want to win and are capable of doing so now. We can see that this has been the case over the last six games since the rotation changes. Since the Sun’s win streak has put them in the play-in, a chance for a playoff spot, it looks closer than ever. If Phoenix can achieve that, I genuinely believe it will be evident despite all the hardships this team has endured. The Injuries, the drama, the trade rumors, the benching that all of it was worth it as they had an uphill battle all season. Knowing that and seeing the success of this duo, I only imagine it makes Mat Ishbia see the true in KD and Book.

That, even with this team getting older, the best opportunity for the Suns to win a championship is with these two. Regardless of the cost, he does not care about the picks. So Mat Ishbia, I ask you, what do you think? If we are going to want to win, this is the direction this team needs to head into.

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