Kevin Durant was in high spirits after the Suns’ late-game comeback against the Charlotte Hornets secured a third straight win for the team. With trade rumors surrounding Jusuf Nurkic and Bradley Beal circulating in NBA circles, Durant cleared the air about the supposed tension in Phoenix’s locker room.
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“The vibes always been good to me. From the outside lookin’ in, it’s tough cuz we losing, but for the most part, everybody’s coming in, trying to figure stuff out, working hard,” the two-time NBA champion said following the 120-113 win at Footprint Center.
“Tonight they kicked our a** on the boards to start the game and I think we was able to swarm and all give multiple efforts on that end of the glass, the defensive glass. So, it’s a good finish for us.”
Kevin Durant on the Suns' vibes: "The vibes always been good to me. From the outside lookin' in, it's tough cuz we losing, but for the most part, everybody's coming in, trying to figure stuff out, working hard, coming in here with energy, enthusiasm for the game of ball." pic.twitter.com/Sv3aeL1qjD
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) January 13, 2025
The vibe in Phoenix’s locker room has had to persevere through some rough stretches this season. After their blistering hot 8-1 start to the campaign, the Suns were 7-16 over the remainder of their games in 2024. After the first week of 2025, they found themselves on a four-game losing streak — their second longest of the season.
Those struggles thrust the team into the rumor mill as some change was needed to stow the ship. Mike Budenholzer took charge of the situation by moving Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to the bench. Though it has delivered the results, the move has also furthered an alleged rift between KD and Nurkic.
The Bosnian beast doesn’t appear too pleased with his limited role and he recently unfollowed Durant and Devin Booker on Instagram, fueling further questions about the chemistry in Arizona. Despite this, both Durant and Book resonated a positive outlook about the roster during their post-game pressers.
Booker scored a game-high 30 points while dishing out 8 assists. But he was sure to credit Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, who have received more responsibilities since Phoenix’s roster recalibration.
“It’s a good balance. They’re mature when we’re playing basketball and then right after that, they go show their true age,” the 28-year-old quipped. Over the last 5 games, the rookies are playing about 5 minutes more per game and have produced efficiently in their increased role.
Dunn is scoring 9.6 points on 54% shooting from the field and 41% shooting from three. Ighodaro is providing consistent support on the glass while shooting 59% from the field.
As a top-heavy team, the Suns are fortunate to have landed mature rookies whose longer college tenures have developed them into more NBA-ready athletes. Of course, they have played just five games with their new rotation but with Dunn and Mason Plumlee in the starting lineup, Phoenix has gone 4-1.
The current three game win streak is also their longest since the start of the season. The new lineup hasn’t just highlighted the rookies but also helped unlock the impact of Beal and Booker. With Beal coming off the bench, Book has looked like the best version of himself. He is averaging 26.6 points, 8.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals over the last five games and Beal too has seen improved production and efficiency with the second unit.
More importantly, the Suns’ new lineup has helped them limit their turnovers. During their 4-1 run, Phoenix have the fifth best assist to turnover ratio and the second best assist ratio in the league. With the improved ball movement, their offensive rating has jumped to 116.8 — the 10th best rank in the league.
