PHOENIX — A whirlwind season of disappointment and flashes of optimism for the Phoenix Suns took an ugly turn against the Houston Rockets on Sunday when Kevin Durant stepped on Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot and sprained his left ankle in the third quarter of a 148-109 blowout loss.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!An MRI revealed the ankle sprain that will sideline Durant for at least a week as Phoenix embarks on a three-game road trip against Milwaukee, Boston and New York while sitting one game behind the Sacramento Kings for the 10-seed and final spot in the Western Conference play-in.
This injury isn’t necessarily the worst thing to happen to Durant this season. In the waning hours of the February trade deadline, the Suns were taking calls on the 36-year-old superstar and even had a deal to send him to the Golden State Warriors before Durant declined the move. This move surely threw a wrench in his relationship with the franchise, what with Durant noting before that he’d like to stay with Phoenix for the long haul.
Despite straddling under .500 all season, being blindsided with having his name in trade talks and any future upgrade to this Suns roster seeming far fetched with Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause and massive stake on their cap sheet, Durant is reportedly still interested in sticking it out in Phoenix.
Logan Murdock of The Ringer reported on Durant’s intentions in his latest tell-all.
“The book isn’t closed on Durant returning to the Suns next season,” Murdock said in his report. “League sources suggest that Durant, who will be eligible for a two-year, $122 million extension this offseason, would be open to a return.”
The 15-time All-Star is averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 62 games before going down with his ankle injury; three games short of qualifying for NBA award honors.
Durant has been Phoenix’s best player all season and its postseason hopes rely solely on his ability to play and return from injury. But, at least for now, fans have just a strain of hope that the Durant era is not officially over in the Valley.
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Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenoNBA, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social
