Stephen A. Smith Declares Kevin Durant’s Phoenix “an Atrocity,” Says They are Bad for Basketball

Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Suns just went from bad to worse following his left ankle sprain on Sunday night. The Suns went on to lose to the Rockets falling to 35-40 on the season. This team had aspirations to compete for a championship. That is far from their reality now as they are the 11th seed and outside of the Play-In Tournament. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith boldly professes that what he has seen from this team is bad for basketball.

Unfortunately, the Durant experiment in Phoenix hasn’t worked out. The team made the blockbuster trade for the superstar in 2023. The deal sent Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson to the Nets along with five first-round picks. In hindsight, the Nets look like clear winners of that deal.

Despite their ridiculous talent, the Suns were never able to form the cohesion needed to become a contender. On ESPN’s First Take, Smith shared a passionate rant revolving around Durant’s disappointing tenure with the team.

“Phoenix Suns are an atrocity,” Smith said. “They are bad for basketball. They’re not interested in being there, they’re not interested in playing… They look like they can’t wait for the season to be over… You gotta purge that squad.”

Smith’s assessment of the Suns doesn’t require a deep analysis of the intricacies of the team. From the naked eye, anyone can tell that the team lacks chemistry with each other. Smith largely attests to the team’s lack of relationship with head coach Mike Budenholzer as a key reason for their individual-centered play.

Budenholzer is the third Suns coach in three years, which is not ideal for a team attempting to compete for a title. The precedent that the Suns are setting among themselves is bad for basketball, according to Smith, who believes the front office needs to blow it up.

The First Take star isn’t the only person with this belief. Kendrick Perkins shared similar sentiments regarding the Suns.

Perkins believes the Suns are one of the biggest disappointments

The Suns’ disappointing season has been a topic of conversation for the entire season. Perkins has always been someone who has fearlessly voiced his opinion on this team. However, following Durant’s recent ankle injury, he believes they should shut down the star forward.

“Outside of the Philadelphia 76ers, the Suns are the biggest disappointment in the NBA,” said Perkins.

“This season is a wash. They might as well shut Kevin Durant down.”

—@KendrickPerkins on the Suns after KD’s injury pic.twitter.com/yxzqqbauQ6

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 31, 2025

Durant’s timetable for recovery is unknown, as the Suns have seven games remaining. They are currently one and a half games behind the Kings for the final Play-In spot. However, the Suns have the hardest strength of schedule with 5 of their 7 remaining games against above-.500 teams.

There is a very good chance that Durant played his final game with the Suns. If that is the case, this tenure with the team will be remembered as a big disappointment in NBA history.