After multiple NBA reporters insinuated Phoenix Suns star forward Kevin Durant could be available in a trade this offseason, team owner Mat Ishbia took to social media to affirm Durant would stay put and call out the media personalities who drummed up those rumors.
On Tuesday night following a trade by the Houston Rockets to acquire multiple future Suns draft picks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Houston planned to pursue Durant with its new assets. By Wednesday morning, nearly all of ESPN was buzzing around the story.
Ishbia’s post on X on Wednesday afternoon attempted to put the news cycle to rest.
“NBA Draft night is the best. Everyone talking about the drama and storylines, some are right and some are just wrong,” Ishbia wrote. “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.”
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
Typically in the NBA, a news cycle begins when a report suggests a player is unhappy. From there, speculation begins around where they could go and how they could get there. Instead, Wojnarowski’s initial report connected the Rockets to Durant purely because off the original owner of the draft picks they acquired in a side deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
That didn’t stop ESPN from running with the story leading into Wednesday night’s NBA Draft.
Later Tuesday, Wojnarowski followed up by saying Durant may not be available, before circling back to say Houston was also interested in Suns All-NBA guard Devin Booker.
Senior NBA writer Brian Windhorst posited on Get Up about which Rockets could be available in the deal before Stephen A. Smith claimed on First Take that the Suns in fact wanted to trade Durant.
.@stephenasmith reports that the Suns “want out of Kevin Durant right now.”
“Pay no attention to what Phoenix is saying. They want out of Kevin Durant right now. … Houston doesn’t want Kevin Durant, Ime Udoka may want him. … Their plans are more long-range.” pic.twitter.com/JpuJDdNWPj
— First Take (@FirstTake) June 26, 2024
If the NBA has taught us anything, it’s that any player can become available.
But there is no firm evidence that Durant wants to leave Phoenix yet, so it’s understandable that Ishbia would be fed up enough to go public with a denial.
[Mat Ishbia on X]
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.