Suns GM Brian Gregory breaks silence on trading Kevin Durant after months of rift reports: "Were in contact with Kevin and his team"

Kevin Durant ended his stint with the Phoenix Suns after a disappointing 2024-2025 season, where they failed to make it to the playoffs. A massive seven-team trade has since brought him to the Houston Rockets. Suns general manager Brian Gregory has since broken his silence about the trade after months of reported rift between him and the two-time NBA champion.

According to Gregory, the Suns' office was in contact with Durant’s camp throughout the trading process as they looked to find the best team for him, while getting the best possible assets to move forward as a franchise.

"We were in contact with Kevin and his team the whole time. The No. 1 goal is to find a way to bring in the valuable pieces that would help us continue to move forward in the right direction," he told reporters on Monday.

In the Kevin Durant trade—a seven-team deal considered to be the largest trade in NBA history—the Suns got Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, 10th pick Khaman Maluach, 31st pick Rasheer Fleming, 41st pick Koby Brea, Daeqwon Plowden, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2032 second-round pick.

Durant played the last two and a half years with the Suns. Last year, he averaged 26.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

However, the team did not make it to the playoffs after finishing as the 11th seed with a 36-46 record, despite having Durant, former All-Star Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The Rockets will be the fifth team in Kevin Durant's career. He will turn 37 years old in September.

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Suns GM praises Kevin Durant in farewell message after trade

Despite his short tenure with the Suns, Kevin Durant left a lasting mark on the franchise, at least according to GM Brian Gregory. In a statement after the trade, Gregory praised Durant for his time in Phoenix.

"One of the greatest to ever play the game. We are grateful for the impact Kevin made on our organization and in our community. As a member of the Suns, he climbed the scoring charts to become just the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 career points, and we wish him the best as he continues his career in Houston.”

In Houston, Durant has a chance for another NBA championship, having won two with the Golden State Warriors.

With him gone, the Suns will look into the future of rebuilding the squad around its longtime cornerstone, Devin Booker.