Kevin Durant’s first full season with the Phoenix Suns has been nothing short of a nightmare. With more than a third of the regular season remaining, Durant and the Suns are unexpectedly out of contention for the play-in, sitting 11th with a 14-15 record. After an atrocious start, Durant has received mixed reactions. On the one hand, Brandon Jennings, a former first-round lottery pick, has advised the two-time Finals MVP to leave the Suns. Terrence Ross, on the other hand, had a whole different take on what Jennings said on X (previously known as Twitter):

“KD should depart from the Suns.” Man was cursed. He doesn’t deserve it.”

The “cursed” claim alluded to the Suns’ injury woes. Last season, in Game 2 of their playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, veteran point guard Chris Paul suffered a groin injury and missed the next four games. Deandre Ayton suffered a rib injury in the first quarter of Phoenix’s Game 5 loss and will miss Game 6. The Suns were defeated 4-2 in the series.

Phoenix secured Washington Wizards standout Bradley Beal in a blockbuster trade during the offseason, forming a ‘Big 3′ with the guard, Durant, and Devin Booker. However, Beal has only made six appearances this season due to injury. Due to the Suns’ terrible injury luck in 2023, Jennings asked Durant to seek a trade.

Terrence Ross, a retired NBA guard and former Phoenix Suns player, has a different opinion. On an Instagram post that included a screenshot of Jennings’ message, he responded:

“They were doing fine before they traded for him, Dawg.” “What’s the issue?”

Ross’ assessment of the Suns’ condition prior to signing Durant may not have been entirely true. Following their loss in the NBA Finals in 2021, the Suns finished 64-18 in the 2021-22 regular season and were tipped to win the West. However, they were eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference semi-finals by the Dallas Mavericks after a shocking 33-point loss at home in Game 7.

The Suns’ regular season in 2022-23 was difficult. They are 21-24 and needed a spark in the middle of January. Durant was acquired from the Nets a month later. He appeared in only eight regular-season games but was crucial in their 4-1 playoff series win against the Los Angeles Clippers. Against the Nuggets, he gave it his all, but it wasn’t enough.

The Suns weren’t doing too well until Durant arrived. They haven’t fared much better with him either.

Kevin Durant and the Suns’ leadership must account for their actions, according to Devin Booker.

Following the Suns’ loss to the Mavericks, which dropped their record below.500, Devin Booker offered a rallying cry to the team’s leader. The three-time All-Star stated during the post-game press conference:

“We need to get our act together. And it is my job to do so. That’s on [head] coach [Frank Vogel], KD, Eric [Gordon], and all the leaders we have in here to make sure we’re better prepared when we come to play.”

While Booker is seeking accountability, Durant may be planning his leave. According to NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Suns’ upper management is aware of the former MVP’s dissatisfaction with the situation in Phoenix. According to Wojnarowski:

“The underwhelming supporting cast that comes from those massive trades for Durant and Bradley Beal that really gutted the organization and left them having to sign a lot of minimum players to fill out the payroll.”

Durant has a reputation for abandoning teams when things aren’t going well. Is he on his way out of Phoenix, or will the Suns’ front office listen to his request to improve the supporting cast? The only way to know is to wait and see.