The 2025 NBA trade deadline was challenging for the Phoenix Suns, and it seemed like every player on the team was linked to trade rumors, even All-Star Kevin Durant. Heading into the deadline, the Suns desperately needed a blockbuster trade and had their eyes set on Jimmy Butler. However, Durant’s name emerged in trade talks when the Butler trade fell short.
NBA insider Ramona Shelburne reported last week that all the trade talk created a “toxic” environment in the Suns’ locker room. Shelburne, in an appearance on “NBA Today,” said she’d heard that Phoenix’s shootaround in Oklahoma City a day before the deadline was “very awkward” and “very weird” because “everybody was on pins and needles,” describing the environment as “toxic.”
Phoenix has underperformed this season, and frustrations continue to build up after the trade deadline as some players felt blindsided by the trade rumors. The Suns are currently 26-26, sitting 10th in the Western Conference, and are 16.5 games back from the No. 1 spot.
Kevin Durant Defends the Suns’ Locker Room Culture
During a press conference, Durant defended his current team, and the two-time NBA champion pushed back against Shelburne’s remarks. Durant stated, “I think it’s unfair and lazy to categorize our team as ‘toxic’ when you come in there for five minutes throughout four months. That’s the only time you’ve been in our locker room, and then you can make a narrative. Don’t think that’s fair to us, but like I said, that’s a part of the game.”
Based on the Suns’ performance this season, defending the team’s chemistry is tough, but Durant had his team’s back.
ESPN also reported that Durant was “blindsided” by his inclusion in talks and quoted a Suns source, saying, “We should have gone through Rich Kleiman, Durant’s agent and business partner.” The 15-time All-Star did not deny being blindsided but downplayed it during the press conference.
Kevin Durant on ESPN report that Suns locker room has been "toxic": "Yeah, I heard Ramona Shelburne come out and say our locker room is toxic. I try to tell people who aren't around this game much is that it's easy to say our locker room is not connected when you come in there 45… pic.twitter.com/SUkcGHmzGF
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 10, 2025
Durant was eligible to sign a one-year, $60 million extension with Phoenix last summer. In November 2024, Suns owner Mat Ishbia told ESPN’s Shams Charania that he expected Durant to sign a two-year extension worth a projected $120 million when he’s eligible to do so in the summer of 2025. With all the trade rumors leading up to the trade deadline, it is uncertain if Durant no longer wants to finish his career in Phoenix.
Durant is leading the Suns in points and blocks, averaging 26.9 points and 1.3 blocks through 39 games this season. He ranks sixth in scoring (26.9), 52nd in rebounds (6.1), 54th in assists (4.2), and 26th in field goal percentage (52.4%).
