The less-than-amicable split between the Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant may have taken place last year, but the superstar isn’t ready to forgive and forget.
At least not in 2026.
Durant made sure to exact a bit of revenge against his former team on Monday night — drilling a contested triple to seal the Rockets’ fifth win in six games — and didn’t mince words when asked if it meant more to do it against the Suns.
“Most definitely. A place I didn’t want to leave … I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will, to be kicked out of a place. It felt like I’ve been scapegoated for the issues we had as a team last year,” he told reporters afterward.
“Yeah, it felt good to beat (Phoenix) and hit a game-winning shot … of course, you play with a little chip on your shoulder against your former team. Especially when they trade you.”
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The Suns dealt Durant to the Rockets last off-season — ending his tenure in Phoenix after 2.5 seasons — in a historic seven-team deal, acquiring Jalen Green and Mississauga, Ont. native Dillon Brooks in return. A move that was part of a major reset for the franchise that also included waiving Bradley Beal.
Phoenix had come off a 36-win season — its fewest since 2019-20 — and had only been trending downwards since making a Finals appearance in 2021 despite making big swings with the acquisitions of Beal and Durant. Missing the playoffs altogether after losing via first-round sweep the year before and back-to-back second-round exits the two seasons prior to that was seemingly enough to want to start over.
Beal and Durant were casualties of that change in directions, and that seemed to rub the 37-year-old the wrong way.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had,” Durant explained. “And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care towards the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general. But that’s just the business, that’s the name of the game. So, when you play against a (former) team, yeah, you’ve got a chip on your shoulder.
Meanwhile, Durant wasted little time committing to Houston after being traded as the 15-time all-star extended with the franchise on a two-year, $90-million deal.
While there appear to be hard feelings, the move may have worked out well for both sides. Durant continues to look every bit the scoring savant as he’s been in his decorated 18-year career — averaging 25.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.0 blocks on 64.4 per cent true shooting — as he’s helped the Rockets to a 22-11 record and fifth-seed in the Western Conference. As for the Suns, they’ve been an early surprise this season, sitting seventh in the West with a 21-15 record — 7-3 in their last 10 games.
Now, the hope is that even this wound might heal with time. But if the clocks at the Toyota Centre on Monday night proved anything, it’s not always that simple.
“I want to show them that I still have some juice in the tank. Even though I’m old, I still can play. I feel like every player has that mentality playing against their former team. I don’t think it’s malicious in any way towards them. But just as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them.”
— with files from the Associated Press
