Kevin Durant limped off the court roughly midway in the third quarter of his team's 148-109 loss to the Rockets on Sunday night. It may have been the last time Durant took the court as a member of the Suns.
The 36-year-old has already been ruled out of Tuesday's game against the Bucks, and his availability for the rest of the three-game road trip is predicated on the results of his MRI for a left ankle sprain.
With seven games left and the Suns nearly out of playoff contention, they may choose to shut down Durant. ESPN's Kendrick Perkins felt such a move would be best for both the Suns and Durant.
"There's no reason to bring KD back," Perkins told ESPN's "Get Up" on Monday. "You can tell the energy is off, the spirit is off, they are so inconsistent," Perkins said of the 35-40 Suns. "This is a prime example of a team that plays individual basketball, this is not a team. They also have no leadership."
"This season is a wash. They might as well shut Kevin Durant down."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 31, 2025
—@KendrickPerkins on the Suns after KD's injury pic.twitter.com/yxzqqbauQ6
Kevin Durant left the game after injuring his ankle on this play. pic.twitter.com/OUJ3YmZO7I
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 31, 2025
If the Suns heed Perkins' advice, they may be preparing to bid adieu to Durant, whom they acquired at the 2023 trade deadline. According to multiple insiders, the Suns and Durant are expected to jointly work on finding the 15-time All-Star a new home this offseason. The Suns reportedly considered trading Durant at this year's deadline but nixed a deal due to his reluctance to move midway through a season.
A lot was expected of the Suns when they acquired Durant from the Nets. It's fair to suggest the Durant era in Phoenix has been an unmitigated disaster that yielded subpar results. The Suns have had the highest payroll in the league since Durant's arrival but haven't enjoyed a suitable return on their investment. They reached the second round in the 2023 playoffs but were swept 4-0 by the Timberwolves in last year's first round. This year, they're close to being eliminated from play-in contention, let alone the playoffs.
All signs point to Durant donning a new jersey in the 2025-26 season. The Timberwolves, Heat and Rockets have been tipped as the most interested suitors. Many have also urged the Thunder to reunite with Durant, especially if they falter in the upcoming playoffs.
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