Kevin Durant addressed his relationship with Phoenix Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer while speaking to Suns reporter Duane Rankin recently. He noted that he doesn’t feel the need to tell Budenholzer what needs to be done. Rather, he approaches him with suggestions and accepts whatever the coach says. Durant just wants to be of service to the team rather than the cause of any problems.
“I don’t say, ‘Coach, we’ve got to do this.’ It’s his team. I’m there to be of assistance. If he need me to do anything. If I got some suggestions on what may happen, I’m asking him. I’m not telling him what to do. I’m asking him, ‘Yo Coach, what do you think, we should do this right here?'”
“If he doesn’t think so, all right, then I’ll move on. I know with your wording, it’s subtle, a word may be off a little bit. I’ve never been that telling somebody what to do, but I’ve been in the league for a long time, and if I see something. Coach gives me the leeway to come to him if I see something out there that may be different.”
“I think everyone on the team has that type of confidence to go to Coach with that stuff. I’m not telling him what he needs to do. I’m listening and giving suggestions and if it helps, it helps. If he doesn’t take it, then you move on to the next thing.”
Durant and Budenholzer had a bit of a heated exchange a few weeks ago during a Phoenix Suns game, where the superstar shoved the coach’s hand away during a timeout. Both of them quickly shut down any talk of beef or issues between the two in the aftermath of the incident.
Durant’s Relationship With Coach Won’t Impact Future
Regardless of the issues, or lack thereof, between Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer, this does nothing to quell the concern surrounding Durant’s future with the Phoenix Suns. His move to the Suns has not worked out the way the two-time NBA champion had hoped, and a move this offseason feels imminent.
The Suns are reportedly already engaging in early discussions with teams over a Kevin Durant trade this summer. Any such deal is going to have to wait till after this season is over, as the trade deadline has passed, and no moves can be made during this final stretch of the season.
It appears the Suns have already set a price for Durant, which would allow them to recoup some of what they gave up to land the superstar from the Nets in 2023. But given his age and injury concerns, they might struggle to land the ideal package for Durant.
For what it’s worth, the Slim Reaper is still playing elite basketball, averaging 26.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 52.6% from the field, 41.6% from the three-point line, and 83.0% from the free-throw line.
These numbers, despite turning 37 this year, will make Durant a hot commodity in the NBA this summer. The question remains – which team is willing to give up what is necessary to land him?
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