Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the 2023-24 postseason. His early exit – despite the team’s championship aspirations – has led many to question the 14-time All-Star’s legacy. Reports recently emerged sharing Erik Spoelstra’s pitch to the 2013-14 NBA MVP in the 2016 offseason. The Miami Heat coach reportedly claimed the franchise could unlock his efficiency as they did with LeBron James.
Durant instead opted to join the Golden State Warriors. While the move worked out well for him – two championships and two NBA Finals MVPs – he has faced excessive slander for joining the team that eliminated him from the previous postseason. Additionally, the five years since he left the Warriors have been anything but successful from a championship-winning perspective.
Despite his success with Golden State, it would have been interesting to see how Spoelstra planned to unlock Durant’s efficiency. While his move has been criticized, it is hard to say that Steve Kerr did not also get the most out of the four-time scoring champion.
Kevin Durant was not happy with how he was used
Kevin Durant continued to play at an elite level in 2023-24 – his 17th season in the league. The Phoenix Suns star was not happy with his role alongside Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in Frank Vogel’s offense, according to Shams Charania and Doug Haller of The Athletic, who wrote:
Durant, among the best scorers in NBA history, was not always happy with how he was used. Sources briefed on the matter told The Athletic that Durant never felt comfortable with his role in Phoenix’s offense alongside Booker and Beal this season.
Those sources said Durant had persistent issues with the offense, feeling that he was being relegated to the corner far too often and not having the proper designs to play to his strengths as the offense was built around pick-and-rolls. At the same time, some teammates and people close to the organization believed Durant needed to voice his concerns more adamantly and directly with Vogel and his coaching staff. [h/t The Athletic]
While he may have questioned how he was being used, Durant had another great season. He averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.3% from the field, 41.3% from three-point range and 85.6% from the free-throw line. He played his most games since 2018-19 and finished fifth in the league in scoring. It was not enough for Phoenix, however, as they were the first team bounced from the postseason. The franchise will have plenty of decisions to make in the coming weeks. They will have limited assets to upgrade their clearly-flawed roster this summer, with an already sky-high luxury tax bill.
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