Kevin Durant Doesn't Get Suns Tribute in Return to Phoenix

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns are reportedly not doing a tribute video for Kevin Durant during tonight's matchup against the Houston Rockets in Durant's first game back in Phoenix since being traded last summer.

The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin reported that the Suns are not planning a video for Durant tonight, as Phoenix currently leads 57-54 and Durant has 13 points at halftime.

This comes as a surprise, as Phoenix usually has a tribute video or quick thank you for most returning players, especially ones of Durant's stature, before the start of the game.

Fans had mixed reactions when Durant was announced in the starting lineup with some booing and some cheering for the 2.5 seasons he spent in Phoenix.

Kevin Durant starting lineup intro.

Not all boos. #Suns #Rockets pic.twitter.com/4DDhZysyxG
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 8, 2026

Durant spoke on his time with the Suns at shootaround earlier today.

"I'm pretty much over it. At the time, it was tough to take," Durant said (via Arizona Sports). "A place I wanted to be and keep building, but it's the business of the league, it's the business of basketball, you're not going to be in the same place all the time, so it is what it is.

"Yeah, I was sour early on, but I think I've gotten over it. Time heals all and just move on."

Remembering Kevin Durant's Time With Suns

Mar 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) look on against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

The Suns had championship aspirations when they made the blockbuster trade to acquire Durant from the Brooklyn Nets in Feb. 2023 for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four future first-round picks and a pick swap.

Even with Durant playing just eight regular season games after the trade that year, the Suns made it to the second round of the playoffs and lost to the Denver Nuggets.

Phoenix then went all in on star power acquiring Bradley Beal that summer and formed a new core with Durant, Beal and Devin Booker after trading away Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.

Instead of championship hopes, it was all downhill after this point with Phoenix getting swept in the first round of the 2024 playoffs by the Minnesota Timberwolves and then missing the playoffs completely with a 36-46 record last season.

There was also a lot of drama during the 2024-25 season with Beal's name first floated in trade rumors, and then a surprise of the team trying to trade away Durant ahead of the trade deadline.

This set the precedent for the Suns trading Durant to Houston last summer for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, rookies Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea, and a 2026 second-round pick.

Durant ended his tenure for the Suns averaging 26.8 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 52.7% from the field and 42.7% from 3 across 145 games. He also hit several significant milestones with the team, including reaching 30,000 points, and is Phoenix's all-time leader in points per game.

“There’s not much sentimental value between me and this place,” Durant said at shootaround (h/t Arizona Sports). “It’s a great place to live, I definitely loved living here. But I was only here for a short amount of time.”

Durant previously left a bad taste in the mouth of some Suns fans immediately after the trade when he said:

"(Suns fans) wanted me to go. They got what they wanted and I got what I wanted so we can move on. Good luck to them moving forward - I'll always remember my time there but we're on to something else."

Then, in the last meeting between the Suns and Rockets on Jan. 5, Durant hit a game-winning 3-pointer and did not mince words on his former team postgame.

"(Phoenix was) a place I didn't want to leave," Durant said. "I don't want to sound to dramatic, but to be kicked out of a place and felt like I've been scapegoated for the issues we had as a team last year, yeah it felt good to beat them and hit a game-winning shot.

”But that's all it is. It's just for the moment. Tomorrow I won't even think about it. It was a fun game, of course, yeah, you play with a little chip on your shoulder against your former team, especially when they trade you."

The Suns might have took some of these comments to heart by not showing a tribute video, but Durant has a lot of respect for how quickly the Suns have turned around this season.

Phoenix entered tonight's game with a 43-35 record, good for the seventh seed in the West, despite low preseason expectations.

"They've been playing great ball," Durant said at shootaround (h/t Duane Rankin). "I played for JO (Jordan Ott) before in Brooklyn and I kind of understand his mentality and his mindset for the game of basketball and him being in Cleveland and bringing that mentality here. You can see it.

"They crash the glass hard, they shoot a lot of 3s. They cover for each other in the paint on the defensive end. They create turnovers. That's the sign of a team that's been coached every day to the point where they don't even have to talk about it or think about it. It's like breathing to them now. They know how they want to play. They did a great job putting the team together, putting the coaching staff together."

As for now, Phoenix will look to avenge the loss in the last meeting and pick up its first win over the Rockets this season.