In his first full season with the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant continued to play at an All-Star level. However, his recent outings have led to jokes from fans that he may be considering his departure.
This season, Durant is averaging just under 28 points per game. That said, he had back-to-back offensive outings that he would like to forget. First, he went 5 for 15 with 13 points against the Charlotte Hornets. The former MVP then followed up by scoring just 11 points in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
NBA fans are never shy about making fun of Kevin Durant, and they have set their sights on him once again. One account is already starting a debate about which team it will request a trade with this offseason.
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This sparked a wave of reactions. Some fans have given up on teams they would like to see him on, while others have criticized the way he is being used by the Suns.
It is worth noting that Kevin Durant is the highest paid player in the world. Suns and is only in the second year of a four-year contract worth $194.2 million.
Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns hold on to a playoff spot
At last year’s deadline, the Phoenix Suns made a splash by acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. The front office then went all-in during the offseason by also negotiating for Bradley Beal.
With the trio of Devin Booker, KD, and Beal, many expected the Suns to be a legitimate contender this year. However, this was not the case. Injuries derailed things for them early on, and they’ve been playing catch-up ever since.
Heading into the final month of the regular season, Phoenix is clinging to a playoff spot. They currently sit in eighth place with a 39-29 record. The standings are so tight in the Western Conference right now that the Suns are just three and a half games out of fourth place.
After trading Kevin Durant and Beal, the Suns have no choice but to try to fight right now. That said, their journey to a title this year won’t be easy.
If the season were to end today, Durant and the Suns would have to face each other in the play-in tournament. They would face the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7/8, with the winner getting the seventh seed. Getting the seventh seed would then mean facing Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
Despite how things have gone for the Suns this season, they still have time to change their destiny. Escaping the play-ins and securing a top-six seed would give them a much more realistic chance of making a deep postseason run.
