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Kevin Durant Throws Subtle Jab at Suns
Mar 21, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles against the Miami Heat in the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Kevin Durant is nearing the end of his first full season away from the Phoenix Suns after being traded last summer, though there seems to still be a bit of tension.

Durant, when asked about the Houston Rockets' game-winner against the Miami Heat courtesy of Amen Thompson, oddly refused to name-drop the Suns:

"Twin saved the day. I remember him saying when I hit that game-winner against that team from the desert he said that was his favorite moment as a Rocket and I was like, 'Nah this gotta be the one now.'"

Durant spent 2.5 years in Phoenix after the Suns pulled off a massive blockbuster trade to land him at the 2023 trade deadline.

Durant unfortunately wasn't able to help the Suns reach their ultimate goal of winning a franchise-first Finals during his short stint in Phoenix, and he wasn't shy about his departure when it came to the fan base.

"They wanted me to go," Durant said previously. "They got what they wanted and I got what I wanted so we can move on. Good luck to them moving forward - I'll always remember my time there but we're on to something else."

In return for Durant, the Suns acquired the No. 10 overall pick (which was used to select Khaman Maluach), Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks. Many believe Phoenix had gotten the better end of the deal before injuries sent the Suns' late regular season sideways.

Durant, speaking at NBA All-Star festivities, did mention the Suns when speaking about surprises within the Western Conference.

“It's a crazy conference, man,” Durant said (h/t Duane Rankin). “You can look up and drop down two spots in a night and rise up two spots in a night.”

“It just goes to show you how much great talent there is in the league, great coaching, great GM'ing in the league to put together these good teams. Teams that you didn't think would be in the running. Like Phoenix, who nobody thought would be this good and going out there and looking like a contending team. San Antonio. A lot of teams each year have gotten better and made this conference even tougher.”

Maybe that's what made his recent comments a bit odd, given that most believed things between the Suns and Durant was water under the bridge.

Durant just passed Michael Jordan in the NBA's all-time scoring list for fifth place with 32,293 points.


This article first appeared on Phoenix Suns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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