PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant doesn’t want to leave the Valley.
Despite a poor start to the 2023-24 campaign that’s been fueled with frustration, Durant recently told FOX Sports’ Melissa Rohlin he doesn’t want to part ways with the organization.
“I don’t want to get traded,” Durant said. “I’m not frustrated because Brad was injured. I wasn’t frustrated because of the role players on the team. That s— really was ignorant to me, you know what I’m saying?
“It’s like, yeah, we lose a game – you think I’m supposed to be happy after we lose a game? You know what I’m saying? I’m not frustrated with the whole situation. I may be frustrated at the moment, at a bad play or a tough stretch. But nah, I enjoy the grind.”
Durant was dealt to the Suns nearly one year ago at the NBA trade deadline. After departing his original team in Oklahoma City for two titles with the Golden State Warriors, Durant had grown frustrated with his time in Brooklyn and opted for Phoenix as his next destination.
The Suns weren’t able to capitalize on the combined talents of Durant/Devin Booker last season, and thus far haven’t been able to find sustained success with Bradley Beal added in the mix.
“I love that we’re struggling almost because we can learn from it and get better and move forward from it,” Durant continued.
“Obviously, I don’t love struggling. But I like finding good things out of winning basketball games. The more film we watch, the more pride we take. The tougher it is, the better we’ll become from it. That’s my mentality the whole time.”
To his credit, Durant has been fairly open and vocal about his experience as a player, often engaging with fans on social media and sometimes not holding back his own opinion for right or wrong.
With the Suns falling short of expectations, the possibility of Durant being dealt has been thrown around by various people – including media and even former NBA players.
“Why are you continuously trying to create drama around my name for no reason?” Durant said.
“Why are you trying to make my life miserable? That’s the question. There’s no need. Let’s just talk about what I see on the basketball court because the fan base wants to know how I’m thinking as a basketball player.”
After losing two in a row, the Suns hope to rebound when they face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.
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