Suns GM Addresses Kevin Durant’s Frustration, Issues Open Challenge to Fans Over $421 Million Roster

Even though Kevin Durant is looking to focus his attention on the Olympics, the rumors around him and the Suns are hard to ignore. With the franchise having gone way over the limit with player salaries, they are set to accumulate huge penalties under the CBA’s new second apron. That had given rise to trade rumors, as a way to combat this issue. Durant was at the epicenter of them, and the frustrated player denied the same by stating, “You could just press the ‘KD want to leave’ button anytime you want some attention.”

Now, his future retention got some backing from the General Manager as well! In his appearance on Sirius XM Radio, the Phoneix side’s GM James Jones highlighted that Kevin Durant is not ready to call any other place his home yet. While the rumors about his exit have somewhat stemmed from the Suns’ financial predicament, it has also contributed to the player not finding as much success as he did with the Warriors.

“He (Durant) wants to win more than anyone, but I think what this gets lost in translation a lot of times is his frustration with not winning,” Jones said. “It’s not the team, it’s not the situation. A lot of times if you ask him, it’s a deep inner frustration when he is like ‘Man, I could have done more.’” Now that the ‘wanting to leave’ discussion is out of the way, the Phoenix Suns are set to spend over $51 million, $50 million, and $49 million on the salaries of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, respectively.

When accumulated with the pay of 13 other players on the roster, the Suns will fork out a whopping $220 million. Including the tax payments incurred for going way over the limit, the roster will cost owner Mat Ishbia over $421 million! Despite this, Jones is not ready to break up the team dynamic just yet. “If you could find me a point guard that you’d rather have the ball in his hands over Devin, Kevin, and Brad, sign me up,” the General Manager said, challenging all those critics out there!

Kevin Durant denies any potential exit rumors and cannot fathom “where is this (trade talk) coming from”

KD has only played one full season with the Phoenix Suns and the talk about his potential exit has already spread like wildfire. Given that the player wants to secure another Championship with the limited time he has left in his career, not everyone was sure that he would want to continue with the Suns. Even as the Houston Rockets were reportedly stepping up as his next potential home, Kevin Durant did not choose to give any fuel to those rumors that have been circulating about him. “So, for somebody to say, ‘Phoenix wants to get out of the KD (business),’ I’m sitting here like, where is this coming from?” the 2x NBA champion asserted.

“It bothers me that people lie like that and that the audience eats up the headline. I get sad when people buy into lies and just make up s**t.” Kevin Durant and James Jones haven’t been the only people working to reassure fans that no breakup is taking place. The team’s owner Mat Ishbia also put out a strong-worded statement on draft day that stated, “Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a Championship because we have the team to do it.”

Despite this, given how the player has switched between 3 teams in 7 years, he knows that the trade rumors are not going anywhere. “Don’t let that blind you from what I’m doing on the basketball court, because that could irritate you as a fan, ‘Damn, this (guy) leaving again?’” Durant said about the rumors. “Even if I do leave, am I playing good basketball, though? Like, what matters? Does it matter that I got a jersey on, or the basketball I’m playing?”

Do you agree with Kevin Durant? Or not? Let us know in the comments below.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.