Could the Suns Be Aiming to Keep Kevin Durant Amid Rumors of Mike Budenholzer Being Fired?

The downfall of the 2024-2025 Phoenix Suns continues to unravel. The squad that features superstars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker had championship expectations. Instead, they sit at 31-37 and could miss the playoffs entirely. Head coach Mike Budenholzer was already in the hot seat for his public dispute about Booker’s communication on the court. Now there’s a rumor that he may be gone entirely.

Journalist Sam Amico released a report that revealed that the Suns organization may fire Bud in the offseason in hopes of “appeasing” Durant and Booker. The move will certainly make fans in Phoenix happy, who have been calling for Budenholzer to get the boot after the team’s lack of movement at the trade deadline. The one move they did try to make? Trading Durant, which didn’t make the 15-time All-Star to excited about staying.

The real question is whether Bud losing his job is enough to keep KD in the desert. Brian Windhorst reported back in February that the Suns were planning to move on from Durant in the offseason. “He’s going to try and win every game he’s out there,” said Windy on the February 27th NBA TV, complimenting him for remaining professional even though “he knew” the move was coming.

The Phoenix Suns could fire Mike Budenholzer in the offseason to appease Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, per @AmicoHoops pic.twitter.com/kvAf1I0ec1

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 17, 2025

At the trade deadline, rumors circulated that Durant would be headed back to the Warriors to reunite with Steph Curry. There was also some talk of him going to the Heat, who were looking to deal Jimmy Butler. Neither move ended up happening.

Would Durant want to remain in Phoenix if Bud got fired?

Any NBA player would tell you that having a competent coach that they believe in would inspire them to remain on any team. But even if the Suns managed to get a Phil Jackson-esque name for KD, does it seem that his chemistry with Booker, Beal, Bol Bol would improve that much?

It feels like if KD really wanted out of Phoenix he would have been more open to making a move at the trade deadline. Then again, perhaps he was looking for more of a challenge than just going back to Golden State.

Besides, he did admit that the main reason for why he did not want to be traded was to maintain continuity. He refused to go through the arduous task of adjusting to a new team and city in the middle of the season.

One person who has been public about wanting Durant to remain on the Suns is team owner Matt Isbhia. “We’re going to find a way to win, and it’s probably a lot easier winning with Kevin Durant than without him,” he stated to Athlon Sports.

The Suns currently hold the #11 spot in the Western Conference. While a streak and a potential play-in spot is not entirely out of the question, the chapter is certainly closing on the championship aspirations the squad once had.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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