Kevin Durant Got The Last Laugh: Why The Suns Will Regret Making Him The Scapegoat
The scriptwriters for the NBA really outdid themselves this time. You can’t tell me this wasn’t written in the stars—or at least in a very dramatic writers’ room somewhere in Secaucus.
Kevin Durant, the man the Phoenix Suns decided was the root of all their problems, returned to the desert and absolutely buried them. It wasn’t just a win; it was a statement. It was a 100-97 dagger with 1.1 seconds left on the clock that screamed, “You miss me yet?”
Let’s be honest, sports breakups are messy. But this one? This one feels personal. Durant didn’t just beat his old team; he publicly aired out the laundry regarding his exit, and frankly, he’s got a point.
Durant Was Never The Problem in Phoenix
Let’s rewind a bit. The narrative emerging from Phoenix this past offseason was that the Durant-Booker-Beal “Big Three” experiment had failed. And sure, if we look at the results—getting swept by Minnesota in 2024 and missing the playoffs entirely with a 36-46 record last year—it was a disaster. But pinning that on Durant? That’s rich.
During his time in the Valley, Durant was doing what Durant does: getting buckets. The man averaged 26.8 points per game. He was efficient. He was available. He tried to make a top-heavy roster work while the front office seemed allergic to acquiring depth or defense. Yet, when the ship started sinking, the Suns decided the best way to patch the hole was to throw their best player overboard.
They traded him to the Houston Rockets for a “large package” (which usually translates to “a bunch of role players and picks that might be good in 2029”), bought out Bradley Beal, and tried to hit the reset button. The result? The Suns are currently floundering, while the Rockets are tied for fourth in the West. Karma has a funny way of working out, doesn’t it?
The “Scapegoat” Comments Hit Hard
After sinking the game-winner, Durant didn’t hold back in the post-game presser. And honestly, I love this energy. We need more players who are willing to say exactly how they feel instead of giving us the standard “both teams played hard” PR nonsense.
“I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but I will — to be kicked out of a place. And feel like I’ve been scapegoated for the issues that we had as a team last year, yeah, it felt good to beat them and hit a game-winning shot,” Durant said.
Read that again. Kicked out. Scapegoated. That is the sound of a man who feels betrayed. He put in the work. He embraced the city. He tried to carry a flawed roster. And in return, the organization pointed the finger at him when things went south. It’s the classic front office playbook: deflect blame from bad roster construction by blaming the superstar.
“It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems that they had,” he continued. “And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care toward the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general.”
You can feel the sting in those words. It’s rare to see a superstar of his caliber admit that a trade hurt his feelings. Usually, they act too cool for school. But Durant wears his heart on his sleeve (and on his Twitter timeline), and that’s what makes him so compelling.
Why the Rockets Are Thriving With Durant
While Phoenix is busy trying to figure out their identity post-breakup, the Houston Rockets are thriving. They took a gamble on an “aging” superstar (he’s 37, but who’s counting when he shoots like that?), and it’s paying off massive dividends.
The Rockets are sitting pretty at 22-11. Why? Because they realized what Phoenix forgot: Kevin Durant is a cheat code. If you put competent pieces around him—guys who play defense, hustle, and don’t need the ball in their hands for 20 seconds at a time—he elevates the entire team.
Monday night was the perfect microcosm of this. With the game on the line, the Rockets didn’t panic. They didn’t overcomplicate it. They got the ball to the guy who has been making shots like this for nearly two decades. Durant caught the inbounds pass, rose up over the defense, and called game. It was cold. It was calculated. It was classic KD.
The Chip on the Shoulder Remains
Durant claims he has “nothing but love” for his former teammates, and I believe him. Players know the business. But you can’t tell me he didn’t enjoy silencing that crowd.
“I want to show them that I still got some juice in the tank, even though I’m old, I still can play,” Durant told reporters. Newsflash, KD: We know. The only people who seemingly didn’t know were the ones running the Phoenix Suns front office.
Every time a team gives up on a legend, they risk this exact scenario. They risk the “Revenge Game.” They risk looking foolish while their former star hits a game-winner on their home court. Phoenix made their bed, and now they have to lie in it. Meanwhile, Durant is sleeping just fine in Houston, probably dreaming about that swish sound the net made with 1.1 seconds left.
The lesson here? Don’t scapegoat the guy who carries your franchise. He might just come back and bury you
