Kevin Durant responded on social media to Suns owner Mat Ishbia after Ishbia said he regretted trading for him, according to Yahoo Sports. Yahoo's headline says Durant "viciously" clapped back. Another Yahoo piece says he "didn't hold back" in replying to Ishbia's comment on the trade. The Suns got Durant from the Nets at the 2023 trade deadline. Sportsnet, carrying the Associated Press, describes the exchange as a spat between Durant, now with the Rockets, and Ishbia.
The outlets differ on what Ishbia meant. A Yahoo column argues he wasn't taking a shot at Durant. CBS Sports' Brad Botkin goes further and says Durant "completely missed" Ishbia's point. Botkin calls it easy to see why Durant would take offense, but says there was more context to what Ishbia was saying. That context was about Durant's Suns tenure and building a championship culture. The feeds we have don't include Ishbia's exact words or Durant's replies, so we can't say which reading is right.
Yahoo's Teddy Ricketson says the exchange also involves Dillon Brooks. He places Ishbia among others who have gotten into social media tiffs with Durant, including Klay Thompson and Kendrick Perkins. The feed doesn't say what Brooks said or did. Brooks is now a Suns forward. Our data has him playing 56 games, all as a starter, in 2026 at 30.4 minutes a game.
On the court, Durant's Suns years were productive. He played 62 games for Phoenix in 2025 and averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists while shooting 52.7% from the field. That followed 75 games and 27.1 points a game in 2024. He is now listed with Houston, and his last game on record is Oct. 15.
The Suns are 1-4 this season and fourth in the Pacific, on a two-game losing streak. They lost 123-103 at San Antonio on Oct. 14. They then lost 119-116 at home to Utah on Friday, Oct. 16. Their one win was 102-98 over San Antonio on Oct. 10. Ishbia is publicly discussing a trade made three years ago while his team is struggling early.
1-44th in PacificStreak L2
The Nets, the other party to the 2023 deal, are 3-1 and second in the Atlantic. They are coming off a 144-128 loss at Miami on Oct. 14. The reporting doesn't say whether either club has commented beyond Ishbia's remarks. The Suns' next game is at Portland on Wednesday, Oct. 21. Brooklyn hosts Charlotte the same night.
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