Mat Ishbia isn’t walking back his latest message to Kevin Durant.
The Suns governor found himself in the middle of a social media back-and-forth with Durant a few days ago after a quote about “throwing money at the problem” started circulating. Ishbia’s point - and the part that drew the most attention - was that adding a player like Durant, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, does not automatically lead to team success.
Durant, now with the Houston Rockets, didn’t seem to appreciate being singled out. Ishbia later said Durant may have been reacting to the quote without full context, and he also made clear he wasn’t pinning the Suns’ disappointing results over the last two-and-a-half seasons on Durant alone.
Even after the pushback, Ishbia stood by what he said.
“I don't know if you saw it, but I said what I said. I think [Durant] misinterpreted it.
He just kind of read some headline rather than actually watching the video, and sometimes he does that. And so he misunderstood it, and I figured I'd clarify it for him.
But I feel good about what I said about the NBA and how it works,” Ishbia said in an interview posted by women's basketball insider Khristina Williams.
Ishbia bought the Suns for $4 billion in December 2022, taking over after a scandal ended Robert Sarver’s ownership. From there, he pushed for aggressive roster moves. Phoenix broke up the core that reached the 2021 NBA Finals, sending Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder, along with major draft capital, to the Nets for Durant.
Phoenix Mercury and Suns owner Mat Ishbia says he doesn’t regret recent social media frenzy with Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/BfmM5zMLKV
— Khristina (@Khristina) October 20, 2026
The roster kept changing after that. After a second-round playoff exit in 2023, the Suns dealt Deandre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen, then moved Chris Paul in a trade for Bradley Beal. The results never matched the spending: Phoenix was swept in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs and missed the postseason altogether in 2025.
Durant was eventually traded to the Rockets last year in a deal that brought back a package led by Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green, and Houston surprisingly made the playoffs.
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