After a humiliating sweep by the Minnesota Timberwolves on April 28th, Enes Freedom, once a teammate of Kevin Durant, voiced his opinion on Durant’s career via his social media account. In his post, Freedom urged Durant to consider retirement, suggesting that Durant’s relevance in the game was fading.
KD just needs to retire.
He is becoming irrelevant at this point.— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) April 29, 2024
Following Durant’s departure from the Golden State Warriors, his postseason journey has been capped at the Conference Semifinals, a feat achieved twice since 2019 (in 2021 and 2023). Notably, Durant’s teams have suffered first-round sweeps twice in the last three years, with the previous occurrence prompting his midseason trade request, which was granted by his team.
Since joining the Suns in 2023, Durant experienced a single playoff series victory against the understaffed Los Angeles Clippers. Despite falling short of their 2024 title aspirations, the Suns’ performance suggests potential offseason shake-ups.
Durant and Freedom shared a stint on the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015 to 2016.
Reports from The Athletic’s Shams Charania shed light on Durant’s discomfort within the Suns’ offensive scheme. Charania noted Durant’s dissatisfaction with his role alongside Booker and Beal, citing issues with positioning and utilization in the offense.
Moreover, concerns lingered regarding Durant’s communication with coach Frank Vogel and the coaching staff, with some suggesting a more direct approach from the star player.
At 36, Durant remains a scoring juggernaut, but as his career enters its twilight, strategic decisions loom large.
In the aftermath of the Suns’ playoff exit, an Eastern Conference executive proposed trading Durant as a solution. The executive suggested this as a pivotal move to navigate the team’s limited avenues for improvement, exacerbated by financial constraints and depleted draft assets.
While trading Durant could diminish the Suns’ championship prospects, their recent playoff sweep raises questions about the effectiveness of their current roster configuration.
Matt John, an NBA analyst covering the Boston Celtics for Heavy.com, brings insight and analysis honed since 2018, with prior contributions to FanSided, Basketball News, and Basketball Insiders.
