Suns' Mat Ishbia Discusses Kevin Durant Exchange Over Trade After Viral Social Media Posts

Phoenix Suns governor Mat Ishbia says he doesn't "have a problem" with Kevin Durant after a social media argument with the former Suns star.

The online conversation started Saturday after Durant responded to a recent CNBC Sport interview in which Ishbia described acquiring Durant as part of an initial ownership strategy of throwing "money at the problem."

"I know he didn't watch the video. He might have just read something, and he made a comment," Ishbia told ESPN's Brian Windhorst around the 35:45 mark of Wednesday's episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective.

Ishbia initially said in his CNBC Sport interview he struggled after purchasing the Suns in 2023 to establish team culture, and that without that, even "bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn't lead to championships."

Durant, who had previously criticized the Suns for the way the franchise ended his tenure in Phoenix, pushed back against the interview in a series of social media posts in which he said the team had "internal problems before I got there."

Ishbia again mentioned his team "identity" when expanding on his comments with Windhorst.

"I didn't do a good job at the beginning when I was an owner. I just kind of put money in and said, 'Let's go do it.' Now I have an identity, alignment all the way through, and we're going to go build," Ishbia said. "Will that work? We're going to find out. But I know the other way didn't work, for sure."

Ishbia concluded, "I don't have a problem with anything he said. But I'm going to make sure... I go out there and say what I believe as well."

The Suns went 85-79 and made one postseason appearance in which the team was swept from the 2024 first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in Durant's two full seasons with the franchise.

Durant was ultimately traded to the Houston Rockets in July 2025 after two and a half seasons with Phoenix. He will tip off the first season of the two-year extension he signed with the Rockets last October when his team opens the season Wednesday night against Cooper Flagg and the visiting Dallas Mavericks.