Kevin Durant Trades Jabs With Suns Owner Ishbia Before Rockets Opener
KD and Mat Ishbia went back and forth online over Phoenix's culture. Meanwhile Durant's a top-10 fantasy forward at 41.7 FPTS/G.
Still a top-10 forward and trending up — grab him if a manager's fading the age.
- Durant ranks #21 overall, #8 at forward in our model
- 26 pts, 5.5 reb, 4.8 ast in 78 games (2025-26)
- 41.7 FPTS/G last season (2025-26, actual)
- Last 5 games +4.8 fantasy pts vs season average
- Faces Phoenix Nov 7, Nov 25 and Feb 5
Kevin Durant isn't done with Phoenix just yet — at least not online. The Rockets forward got into it with Suns owner Mat Ishbia this week after Ishbia, speaking on a CNBC Sports podcast, said he'd essentially thrown money at the problem and admitted that signing stars like Durant doesn't automatically buy championships. Durant, who spent 2023 to 2025 in the desert, quoted the clip and reminded everyone he stayed at the top of his game at 36 — a season where he put up 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists across 36 games before the trade.
Ishbia walked it back, insisting he wasn't blaming Durant and wishing him luck in Houston while hyping Phoenix's new direction. Durant wasn't buying the olive branch, telling the owner he should be grateful he no longer has to pay an absurd amount for a player on another roster. Spicy stuff — but the fantasy takeaway is that KD looks motivated heading into a season where he'll see his old team three times.
Why The Beef Matters For Your Roster
Revenge-game narratives are usually noise, but Durant's history against teams that moved him suggests he circles those dates. Houston and Phoenix meet November 7, again November 25, and close the series February 5. Those are games to prioritize in your streaming and DFS planning — Durant playing with a chip on his shoulder is exactly the kind of edge that nudges a floor into a ceiling.
The Numbers Still Hold Up
The social media back-and-forth distracts from how steady Durant remains. He averaged 26 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists across 78 games last season (2025-26) — a near-full slate for a player his age — and posted 41.7 fantasy points per game, good for #21 overall and #8 among forwards in our model. His last five games came in at +4.8 fantasy points above his season average, so he's trending up, not fading.
The fantasy verdict: this is a buy-low window if a nervous manager in your league is spooked by Durant's age or the offseason drama. You're getting a top-10 forward whose production hasn't dipped and who may play angrier than usual against Phoenix. Target him in trade talks, lock him into your starting five, and don't overthink the Twitter noise — the box scores are what pay out.
