“I ain’t a regular 36-year-old, I condition my mind, my body, to be a pro.” After the Phoenix Suns beat the Detroit Pistons last weekend, this is what Kevin Durant had to say. He pushed back on critics who thought he’d lost a step from his early dominance. But honestly, come on—Durant is still lighting it up in his 17th season. He’s putting up 27.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. His experience is making him even better, and he’s constantly refining his game. Despite all the noise, he is still one of the NBA’s elite.

Fans have recognized his efforts. KD is headed to the 2025 NBA All-Star Game in San Francisco, marking his 15th career selection and his second as a Sun! This time, he barely edged out Victor Wembanyama for the final frontcourt spot, and honestly, it’s hard to argue against it. Kevin Durant’s been a beast this season, showing no signs of slowing down.

This is what he had to say on his coveted 15th All-Star selection, “Thanks to the fans and my peers for voting me in as an All star starter…..15 of em, doesn’t get old! See yall in the Bay!!!”. Becoming a 15th-time selection doesn’t come without its perks. For KD, he’s bagged a lucrative $1.3 million bonus.

While the reward is no surprise, it “does not impact the Suns tax bill,” as per Bobby Marks of ESPN. You could say it was pretty much a given, but still, Kevin Durant’s earning it in style. The Suns paid close to $70 million in luxury tax for the 2023-24 season as reported by Marks itself. Currently, the Mat Ishbia-led side is sitting in the second apron of the luxury tax because of their ‘win-now’ approach.

They can only sign free agents to veteran minimum deals and face severe limitations in the trade market. To make matters more interesting, Phoenix’s spending of $205.8 million, topped the entire NBA, as they headed into the 2024-25 season, according to Spotrac. They recently acquired Nick Richards. Kevin Pelton of ESPN broke down how trading Josh Okogie’s $8.25 million salary for the incoming Richards saved the Phoenix side more than $21 million in taxes!

And now Kevin Durant is ready to lead the team to a championship with help arriving.

Kevin Durant has evolved his game as he grew older…

Kevin Durant isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. He’s still driven to lead a winning team, and with Devin Booker by his side, the Suns are in good shape on paper. But, let’s be real—the roster still has some holes to fill.

Durant is one of the NBA’s biggest names, and the younger players grew up watching him, studying his moves. They know how to counter them now, though, so KD’s had to adapt. His game from 2012 won’t work in 2025, so he’s switched gears to stay at the top.

As Durant put it, “I’m saying they got 16 years of film with me, I’m still playing at that level. It may look different. Yeah, I’m not running down the lane, but I’m still making the same shots, still getting to my spots. That’s what you look at. Am I still getting to where I want to get to?” He added, “Back then, I was trying to play how I’m playing now. Where I’m picking my spots, not rushing.”

Meanwhile, the Suns have been active this season, making moves like grabbing Nick Richards and trading a 2031 first-round pick for future picks from Utah. But the big prize? Jimmy Butler. Phoenix is widely seen as the next team to land him.

To make that happen, the Suns need to offload Bradley Beal’s massive contract, but Miami’s not biting.

If the Jimmy Butler deal falls through, the Suns might use their draft picks to make a move for other assets like Jusuf Nurkic or Grayson Allen. Either way, they’re ‘all in’ on building a powerhouse around Durant and Booker.