Kevin Durant and Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia have been sparring online after KD seemingly became upset with Ishbia’s description of his short time with the Suns.
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While speaking with CNBC Sport, Ishbia said that “bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily lead to championships.”
Durant felt he was being blamed despite being “on top of his game at 36” and bringing the winning culture to the team. The feud made headlines, and fans began chiming in.
“Most insecure individual in the NBA,” one fan wrote responding to Durant’s post. “Matt Ishbia didn’t meant you personally you idiot always playing the victim card.”
Turns out that post caught Ishbia’s attention, and he gave it a like, further fueling the already raging fire. After Durant’s original response, Ishbia took to X to explain to him that he wasn’t being blamed for his time with the Suns.
Ishbia bought the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury from disgraced former owner Robert Sarver in 2023. When he became the brand-new owner, he wanted to make sure that the team acquired all the players it could to win a championship.
And when he was told to stay out of it as an owner, Ishbia did not listen. Instead, he became thoroughly involved. He said that he was willing to “go into the luxury tax” if that’s what he needed to afford good players and win the championship.
After that, the team acquired Durant. The trade was heavy for the Suns; they traded Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson to the Brooklyn Nets along with four unprotected first-round picks and a first-round pick swap.
During Durant’s first year, the Suns were able to make the playoffs. He personally finished the regular season shooting 55% from the field, 40% from the three-point line, and 90% from the FT line, becoming the first player in the NBA to get those numbers.
However, the Suns were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets, who later went on to win the championship. The next year, despite Durant’s efforts, the Phoenix Suns failed to make the playoffs.
During an interview with CNBC Sport, Ishbia discussed his approach to building the Suns’ roster.
“What I’ve learned, my biggest lesson is it’s not positive or negative on Kevin Durant,” he said. “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.”
The result? Though Durant averaged over 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, the Suns finished 11th in the Western Conference. This was the 2024-25 season, which later also turned out to be Durant’s last with the team.
In July 2025, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. Therefore, Ishbia was simply explaining how his team-building approach didn’t quite work the way he expected it to.
The team went for big swings, spending money and risking a gamble. They paid a lot for Durant and also Bradley Beal, whom they signed shortly after. Did it help the Suns win a trophy? No. But it surely helped Ishbia realize that throwing money at the team may not get the job done.