After winning back-to-back NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors several years ago, Kevin Durant has experienced a rough stretch since leaving the Warriors in 2019.
He went through a fruitless stretch on a Brooklyn Nets team that was tabbed as a superteam and a definite powerhouse, and since being traded to the Phoenix Suns midway through last season, he suffered two more early playoff exits.
He was seen in the gym working out with New Orleans Pelicans sharpshooter CJ McCollum as the NBA offseason gets underway, per NBACentral.
KD in the lab with CJ McCollum
(🎥 @Cbrickley603/ h/t @AhnFireDigital) pic.twitter.com/OWHMJFEGDh
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 20, 2024
Durant continues to play at a very high level even at age 35 — he averaged 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 52.3 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from 3-point range last season.
Coming into 2023-24, the Suns were expected by many to be legitimate championship contenders, as they had an outstanding star trio on paper with Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
However, injuries and poor roster construction around them resulted in a disappointing 49-33 regular-season finish and a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It resulted in Frank Vogel being fired after just one year as their head coach and the hiring of Mike Budenholzer, who won it all as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
The Suns need more depth, as well as a true point guard and floor general, and thus, there is always the chance that they look to make a major move this offseason.
While the Suns reached the NBA Finals in 2021, they lost to Budenholzer’s Bucks, and they have never claimed the Larry O’Brien Trophy in over 50 years of existence.