Suns Owner Reveals Honest Reason Behind Kevin Durant Trade

Mat Ishbia got candid on why the Suns moved on from Kevin Durant.

Oct 2, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia (left) and forward Kevin Durant poses for a portrait during media day at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns made several moves this offseason, but the biggest one of all was trading away Kevin Durant.

Although it seemed inevitable Durant would be moved this offseason, the Suns trading him to the Houston Rockets in June set the franchise on a completely new path where they have noticeably added young players around Devin Booker with no other true stars.

Suns owner Mat Ishbia reflected on the trade, which landed the Suns Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach, No. 31 pick Rasheer Fleming, No. 41 pick Koby Brea and a 2026 second-round pick, on ESPN's NBA Today Wednesday.

"We're really excited about the players we got," Ishbia said. "Kevin Durant's a great player. There's nobody that could ever question that. (He) just wasn't a fit for what we're doing going forward. Obviously, he's had an amazing career, but he's not a fit for what we're going to do moving forward.

"We got great players back. Dillon Brooks, tough-minded, winning-type guy. We love that. That's what we have to build out here. Jalen Green, 23-year-old upside, leading scorer (on the Rockets), played all 82 games last year. We love Jalen Green. But then we got the 10th pick in Khaman Maluach, we're excited (about him). And with the other picks, we got Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea.

"We got five players, and we love what we got for it. We're looking forward, not looking back. Obviously, it didn't work with Kevin, we wish him the best, but for us going forward, we love the guys we got, we love what we're building, and it takes time. It's not going to happen overnight, but we feel great about what we got here in Phoenix going forward."

"[Kevin Durant] just wasn't a fit for what we're doing going forward."

—@Suns owner Mat Ishbia reflects on trading Kevin Durant to the Rockets pic.twitter.com/1DHpg0l5aq

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 24, 2025

Mat Ishbia on the New-Look Suns

After winning only 36 games last season, the expectations are even lower for the Suns heading into the 2025-26 season following the Durant trade and Bradley Beal buyout.

Ishbia shared what his vision for success looks like for the upcoming season at the team's media day Wednesday.

"My expectations are: I hope that we win more games than we won last year. But the truth is, it's not going to be measured in wins and losses this year, but it is going to be measured in success," Ishbia said. "I promise to be more successful than last year in all aspects of it. Whether it's wins or losses, I'm not focusing on that exactly.

"But I am focusing on doing the right thing, building the right organization, and making sure we're gonna be successful going forward from a perspective of identity, vision, culture and something that fans be proud of. And I think that you're gonna see that, and that will turn into wins and eventually turns into championships."

Talked a lot about this at Media Day. Success is making our fans proud of our team and excited to watch every game. Success is getting better every day all season. Most of all, success is building a championship culture and identity here in Phoenix. We are working on this with… https://t.co/qBxunZJ850

— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) September 24, 2025

It might take time for this new group to fit together, but Ishbia is clearly confident that his new strategy will turn into positive results down the line.