Kevin Durant is seemingly unhappy Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia described trading 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 got u back this ‘culture’ you love so much,” Durant wrote Saturday on X. “Aye, Matthew acts like I got arrested for a DUI or sumn.”
Ishbia, who completed his purchase of the Suns in February 2023, spoke about the Durant trade made later that month in a recent appearance on CNBC Sport.
“There was not a defined culture and North Star where we were going, and therefore bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily lead to championships,” Ishbia said. “You’ve got to find guys and people that are aligned with the vision of where we’re going, the work ethic, the attitude, the care factor around winning, the grind every single day.”
Ishbia continued, “Whether it’s Kevin Durant, or not. It doesn’t really matter. It’s about the type of players that we have. And now we’ve defined it, and so now we only get those type of players.”
Ishbia said that was part of the “biggest lesson” he has learned in his first three years as owner of the Suns.
“We have to define what we’re about in Phoenix, and stick with it, and believe in our vision and our path,” Ishbia said. “And I didn’t do that at the beginning. I just kind of threw money at the problem.”
Durant ultimately spent two and a half seasons with the Suns before he was traded to the Houston Rockets in July 2025.
This isn’t the first time Durant has criticized his treatment by the Suns around the end of his tenure in Phoenix.
Durant confirmed last fall he learned from trade rumors the Suns were considering moving him ahead of the 2025 trade deadline. He said he ultimately blocked a potential move to the Golden State Warriors before finishing out the 2024-25 campaign in Phoenix.
“Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns,” Durant said in September 2025. “And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were.”
Durant is now heading into his second season in Houston, and the first of his two-year, $90 million extension featuring a player option. He and the Rockets are set to tip off the regular season Wednesday against the visiting Dallas Mavericks.
