Durant Rebukes Ishbia Over Suns Trade Assessment

Kevin Durant publicly rebuked Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia on Saturday after Ishbia described the team’s approach to acquiring Durant as an unsuccessful strategy that amounted to throwing money at the problem. Durant said he had maintained a high level of play at age 36 and helped restore a culture Ishbia now values, and compared Ishbia’s remarks to treating him as if he had been arrested for driving under the influence. Durant’s post on X followed Ishbia’s recent interview on CNBC Sport, in which the Suns owner said that signing highly talented players does not necessarily lead to championships. Ishbia said he had initially agreed to spend heavily in pursuit of a title, but that the move for Durant had not aligned with his vision for the franchise. He described the effort as unsuccessful and said he later decided to trade Durant, hire a general manager and coach, and take a more active role in team decisions. Ishbia said Phoenix has since defined the type of players and people it wants, an identity he called “Suns DNA.” He said he is now involved in decisions across the roster and the wider organization. His remarks addressed the franchise’s strategy; he did not say Durant...