Kevin Durant and Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia publicly disagreed Saturday over how Durant’s three seasons in Phoenix should be characterized, with Durant pushing back on X after Ishbia’s comments on CNBC Sport aired Oct. 16-17, 2026.
The exchange started when Ishbia, discussing the Suns’ direction heading into this season, said he regretted not establishing a clear team identity before trading for Durant in February 2023. Durant responded on social media hours later, disputing the framing of his tenure and the two continued trading messages through Saturday.
What Ishbia Said About The Durant Trade
Ishbia bought the Suns in February 2023 when the franchise was valued at $4 billion, according to ESPN. That same month, Phoenix acquired Durant from Brooklyn in a deal that sent Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap to the Nets.
Speaking to CNBC Sport, Ishbia described the state of the franchise at the time of his purchase. “When I bought the team, the team was I think the eighth or ninth seed. We had some good young players [and I was] like, ‘Can we get over the top?’ I was basically told like, ‘Hey, as an owner, stay out of it.’ And so, I said, ‘Listen, we’ll go into the luxury tax.
Go do whatever it takes to try to win a championship. We did that,'” Ishbia said.
Ishbia said the results did not match the investment. “There was not a defined culture and North Star where we were going, and therefore bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily lead to championships. You’ve got to find guys and people that are aligned with the vision of where we’re going, the work ethic, the attitude, the care factor around winning, the grind every single day,” he said.
He added that the issue was not about Durant specifically. “What I’ve learned, my biggest lesson is it’s not positive or negative on Kevin Durant. We have to define what we’re about in Phoenix, stick with it and believe in our vision and our path.
I didn’t do that at the beginning. I kind of just threw money at the problem,” Ishbia said.
Durant’s Response On Social Media
Durant replied on X on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, rejecting the suggestion that his tenure contributed to the franchise’s shortcomings. “#blameKD even though KD stayed on top of his game at 36 and got you back this ‘culture’ you love so much. Aye, Matthew acts like I got arrested for a DUI or sumn,” Durant wrote.
Durant followed with another post aimed directly at Ishbia, according to Yahoo Sports. “U should be giving Thanks every chance u get. You don’t have to pay me an absurd amount of money to play for another team,” Durant wrote.
Ishbia responded to Durant’s posts, saying his comments had been misread. “You obviously didn’t watch the clip. Didn’t blame you @Kdtrey5, but am happy with the culture we are building here in Phoenix.
We got the right guys and right focus now and are excited for this season. Good luck this season in Houston,” Ishbia wrote.
Context Behind The Durant-Ishbia Dispute
Durant averaged 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 62 games in his final season in Phoenix. He signed a two-year, $90 million extension with the Suns in October 2024 that included a player option for the 2027-28 season. Despite the production and investment, the Suns won only one playoff series during Durant’s 2½ seasons with the team before trading him to the Houston Rockets in July 2025 in what was the first seven-team trade in NBA history.
Ishbia described the decision to move on from Durant as part of a broader organizational reset. “We had a couple years, and it did not succeed as we’re well aware at this point. After that year, I decided to trade Kevin Durant, bring in my GM Brian Gregory, bring in a coach Jordan Ott and get extremely involved personally with the type of guy and type of person we want in our organization, not just on the court, but off the court,” he said. He added that Durant’s fit “was not aligned with my vision.”
According to Bleacher Report, Durant has previously said he learned from a third party during the 2024-25 season that the Suns were considering trading him ahead of the deadline. Durant said he initially blocked a potential deal to the Golden State Warriors before finishing that season in Phoenix. “Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns.
And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were,” Durant said.
What’s Next
Durant enters his first season with the Rockets while Ishbia and the Suns open the 2026-27 campaign under general manager Brian Gregory and coach Jordan Ott. Neither side has indicated further public comment beyond Saturday’s exchange.
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