Addressing the media prior to Friday’s game, general manager James Jones didn’t seem worried that Kevin Durant will react negatively to finding out that the Suns considered trade offers for him before Thursday’s deadline, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Jones doesn’t believe Durant will let the trade speculation become a distraction as the team fights to secure a playoff spot.
“Kevin has been around the noise his entire career,” Jones said. “He’s a pro. He’s the best at it. It gets noisy when you’re not winning. The simple fact is we haven’t won enough and if we’re not winning enough, the storylines pop up, but we’re talking about basketball and he’s always shown and will continue to show, and I think this team will continue to show, that despite the things outside of our walls, we’ll focus on the task at hand and focus on ball.”
Durant sat out Friday’s game with a sprained left ankle and didn’t talk to the media, as the NBA’s policy doesn’t require injured players to do interviews. Jones refused to comment on a rumored deal with Golden State that was reportedly nixed when Durant said he didn’t want to return to the Warriors. Jones was also asked if he needs to smooth things over with his star player after trade talks collapsed.
“It’s ongoing dialogue with the team, but when you get to the trade deadline, every team has these moments of frustration, these moments of uncertainty,” Jones responded. “You talk about that early in the season, going into the preseason. You talk about that going into the trade deadline. You talk about it going into the playoffs. It’s an ongoing conversation. It’s not just something that you respond to at these type of pivotal moments. It’s a daily conversation about how you continue to stay focused on the task at hand, which is playing basketball at a high level and winning basketball games.”
Rankin points out that Durant passed on a chance to sign a one-year, $59.5MM extension before the start of the season, which makes him eligible for a two-year, $123.8MM extension this summer. There’s now less certainty that he’ll accept that extension if he’s unhappy about having been on the trade market.
There’s more from Phoenix:
- Bradley Beal is ready to move forward with the season now that the deadline has passed, Rankin adds in a separate story. Some fans are angry at Beal because he wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause to help the team land Jimmy Butler, but Royce O’Neale doesn’t believe they should be. “What are they going to be mad for?” O’Neale said. “We love Brad. He’s sacrificed a lot for this team, whether he’s starting, coming off the bench. His mentality, his character hasn’t changed. He does whatever it takes for us to win. Credit to him everything that he’s been through, everything that his family has heard.”
- Suns players are disputing a claim by ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that their locker room is “toxic” due to the Durant situation. “The locker room has been good all year long. It hasn’t changed at all either, so I don’t know where that came from,” said Grayson Allen (Twitter video link from Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports). O’Neale echoed the same sentiment, saying, “I feel like they be making up some stuff sometimes. I seen that, I was like, I don’t know what they talkin’ ‘bout.” (Twitter video link)
- Coach Mike Budenholzer provided updates on Durant, Beal and Allen, who all missed tonight’s game due to injuries (Twitter video link from Bourguet). Budenholzer said Durant’s ankle issue is “probably very short-term” and expressed hope that the two days off will help him heal. Beal has toe soreness in his left foot, and Allen is experiencing pain in his right knee. Budenholzer considers them both to be day to day.
The Thunder own Sixers pick. It is top 6 prospected.
Means they won’t have a pick in 1st rd 2025. ??
Do they tank to top 5 pick. I doubt it. Best to go for 8th seed. Make the best of it. They do have a 2nd rd pick. Bite the bullet and come back next year.
The larger the salaries, the more untenable the ego and perceived value!
I hope my team will refuse to go the route of the super ego!!
Beal did the right thing, no one has the right to be upset with him!
As a matter of fact, after this trade deadline I truly hope that the top players start getting NTC’s in their contracts.
Only way to deal with teams total lack of loyalty to players and fans alike!
There’s all these older stars Harden Kawhi KD Bron Curry etc etc obviously great players that all just want to win a title. Wonder if any will sacrifice money and sign for less to make a stacked team and give himself his best chance of winning.
Usually players do it late in their career, but have to take up a back up role like Russ in Denver. And good on him taking less, joining a great side and playing his role well.
Would love to see more of the big names do it and give themselves the best chance of winning.
KD should be thinking the suns don’t care about you as a player and were prepared to trade you.
He’s earnt a bunch in his career imagine if he decided I’ll sign for 15m to go play for the TWolves or something. ANT KD McDaniels Gobert, probably trade Randle but that would be insane. Maybe he thinks the east is easier and says Indy really needs a number 1 option. Tyrese KD Siakim Turner that would be tough too.
LeBron the obvious one is GSW. Go play with your mates Curry and Green. Heild at SG and you get to keep the likes of Podz and Kuminga.
Harden imagine him with his mate Kyrie in Dallas with AD, Gafford, Lively etc etc that would be epic
Taking discounts ruins competitive balance
Miami wouldn’t have won that 13 title without Ray Allen taking a discount and joining the big 3.
Fans are mad at Bradley beal? Howabout the people that created the situation in the first place? That really ticks me off. Yes the billionaires are saints but the millionaires are greedy. Smdh
people should blame the owners for handing out all that money to praise their ego. Beal was never worth that amount of money so why blame him if some billionaire wants to give it to you.
He was certainly worth that money for the Wizards as he was the only person keeping that franchise alive.
James Jones can’t believe a word he just said. Durant is pissed! LOL he missed this game with some magical 2 day ankle injury, who do they think they are fooling.
Sun’s chemistry might be the lowest in the league. Once the season end and they are out of the playoffs you might see a lot of trades happening even Durant will be traded.
KD getting trade in summer, guaranteed.
Gotta say the suns blew this trade deadline. Out there chasing white whales. They should have been focused on putting together the best Nurk deal they could. Instead it looks like they spent the last few days spinning their wheels then took whatever Nurk deal was still available. They are not meaningfully better than they were before the deadline, nor did they give themselves more tools to get better in the offseason.