Former NBA All-Star Richard Jefferson said that Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have a diminishing relationship amid the losing. Adel Ahmad Jan 9, 2025 5:32 PM EST Phoenix Suns Start Conversation
The NBA has occasionally seen teams go all-in, only for things to end up in a worse state than where they started. Right now, the Phoenix Suns are the league’s most popular melodrama. As the losses pile up and hearsay intensifies, the franchise appears increasingly devoid of a reasonable way out of the ruffle.
RJ adds to the drama
In the last 35 days, Phoenix has won just three games. Bradley Beal has been at the epicenter of trade talks. And rumors of Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler considering the Suns his only preferred trade destination have engulfed both franchises. If that wasn’t enough, Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have a growing rift, according to former NBA All-Star Richard Jefferson.
“The last thing I’ll say about K.D. [Durant],” Jefferson said. “As great as he is. He’s still one of the best players in the NBA. I think he can still lead a team to a championship. But at what time has K.D. teaming up with his boys worked out the way he would like? Because before, he loved Devin Booker. There was a mutual respect. Now, they’re not getting along. Don’t really mess with Bradley Beal. Bradley Beal’s out. Now, they’re gonna bring in Jimmy Butler potentially because that’s what K.D. wants.”
Acquiring Durant ahead of the February 2023 trade deadline was a high-risk/ high-reward move for the Suns. Now, it appears the risks have begun surfacing for a teetering franchise.
Despite being 34 years old when he arrived in Phoenix, the Suns were confident Durant could form a powerful one-two punch with Booker. The team fell short in its first postseason with Durant and, in the following year, was swept in four games by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With just weeks left ahead of the trade deadline, the Suns have sunk into desperation and face an even bigger problem. Salvaging this season will require the front office to execute a convoluted scheme, which is an entirely separate and largely unwinnable challenge.
Another lost season for the Suns?
Jefferson’s comments are likely rooted in speculation unless he has insider knowledge of the Suns. Regardless, they underscore the upheaval rapidly compounding in Phoenix.
“A little bit,” said Suns guard Grayson Allen when asked if advancing trade speculation is impacting the team internally. “Maybe guys individually. Again, this is one of those things—winning fixes everything. And if we were winning games, a lot of stuff going on would be a lot easier.”
The hottest names on the perceived trade market are Butler and Beal. Speculation is rampant about Butler wanting to land in Phoenix, while Beal reportedly has had no discussions with the Suns regarding waiving his no-trade clause.
Meanwhile, the Heat reportedly have no interest in the 31-year-old Phoenix guard. The machinations that determine Butler’s and Beal’s next destinations will be deeply nuanced if either is traded in the coming weeks. For now, Miami and Phoenix are searching for a way out of a sticky situation.