PHOENIX — Kevin Durant isn't expected to make his Phoenix Suns debut until after the NBA All-Star break. Despite not having Durant on the floor yet, and also being without Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson whom the team traded to Brooklyn, the Suns have won two of their last three games shorthanded.
Durant will surely make a quick impact on an already talented roster. The 34-year-old Durant is still playing at an elite level, averaging nearly 30 points per game this season. Durant will join a Suns team that has suffered lingering injuries across almost all of its roster but will be seemingly close to — if not fully healthy — coming out of the All-Star break.
“He knows how to play. He’s played in a number of different systems. He’s insertable in any of them,” said Suns guard Landry Shamet, who played with Durant in Brooklyn. “You can throw it to him and he’s going to go score every time.”
The Phoenix Suns introduced Durant in a formal press conference Thursday in Phoenix. It was the first time Durant has spoken publically since being traded to Phoenix.
Durant is recovering from a sprained knee ligament that the Nets, and now the Suns, are giving plenty of time to heal. Durant was seen during workouts after being traded to the Suns running full speed and landing reverse dunks with ease but will sit out Thursday's Suns game out of precaution.
The trade for Durant came just hours after new Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia was introduced in Phoenix. The self-described basketball nut, who was a walk-on at Michigan State under Tom Izzo, didn’t waste any time shaking up the NBA.
Ishbia called it a “transformative day” for the team.
“Not only is Kevin one of the greatest and most accomplished players in the history of the sport, but his character also embodies the world-class commitment to excellence we are instilling across every facet of this organization,” Ishbia said in a statement.
Phoenix has never won a league championship. The Suns made the NBA Finals two seasons ago but lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games. They also played in the finals in 1976 and 1993.
