Kevin Durant is apparently upset that Phoenix Suns governor Mat Ishbia described trades for him in 2023 as part of a failed strategy of throwing “money at the problem.”
“#blameKD even though KD stayed on top of his game at 36 and brought back that ‘culture’ you love so much,” Durant wrote Saturday on X. “Yes, Matthew is acting like I was arrested for DUI or DUI.”
Durant and Ishbia then had an exchange over the comments after the Houston Rockets star’s initial response.
Durant also responded to a fan, saying the Suns were a .500 team with “some internal issues before we got there.”
Ishbia, who completed his purchase of the Suns in February 2023, spoke about the Durant trade made later that month during a recent appearance on CNBC Sport.
“There wasn’t a defined, North Star culture that we were going toward, and so bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily lead to championships,” Ishbia said. “You have to find guys and people that fit the vision of where we’re going, the work ethic, the attitude, the drive to win, the day-to-day work.”
Ishbia continued: “Whether it’s Kevin Durant or not. It doesn’t really matter. It all depends on what type of players we have. And now we’ve defined it, and so now we only have these type of players.”
Ishbia said that was part of the “biggest lesson” he learned in his first three years as Suns governor.
“We need to define who we are in Phoenix, stick to it and believe in our vision and our path,” Ishbia said. “And I didn’t do it at first. I just threw money at the problem.”
Durant ultimately spent two and a half seasons with the Suns before being traded to the Rockets in July 2025.
This isn’t the first time Durant has criticized his treatment by the Suns toward the end of his tenure in Phoenix.
Durant confirmed last fall that he learned from trade rumors that the Suns were considering moving him before the 2025 trade deadline. He said he ultimately blocked a potential move to the Golden State Warriors before finishing the 2024-25 campaign in Phoenix.
“At first I was a little upset because I felt like we had built a strong relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns,” Durant said in September 2025. “And hearing that from another party was a little upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over it quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were.”
Durant now enters his second season in Houston and the first of his two-year, $90 million extension with a player option. He and the Rockets are scheduled to open the regular season Wednesday against the visiting Dallas Mavericks.
Gn sports
