It has been a terrible season thus far for the Phoenix Suns as they continue to fight for their playoff lives with the postseason right around the corner.
Phoenix currently sits 11th in the Western Conference standings with a 35-40 record which has them one and a half games behind the Sacramento Kings for the final Play-In spot.
Of course, it briefly looked like the Suns had begun to figure things out after their four-game winning streak, but they have since lost three consecutive games and they are coming off a blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
The Suns also suffered another huge blow in Sunday's game as their star forward Kevin Durant left with an ankle injury.
ESPN's Shams Charania then announced on Monday that Durant will miss at least a week due to a left ankle sprain.
Phoenix Suns All-Star Kevin Durant is expected to miss at least one week through team's three-game road trip with a left ankle sprain, sources tell ESPN. Suns are 1.5 games out of Play-In with the toughest remaining schedule in the NBA.
More for NBA Today on ESPN at 3 pm ET. pic.twitter.com/grdYpJEPJ5
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 31, 2025
With Bradley Beal already sidelined due to a hamstring injury and with Durant now out for at least a week, the Suns will have an even tougher time closing in on the Kings for the final Play-In spot.
Because of this, former NBA player and now ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins made a bold statement on Get Up on Monday morning regarding the rest of the season for the Suns following Durant's injury.
"This season is a wash," Perkins said. "They might as well shut Kevin Durant down."
"This season is a wash. They might as well shut Kevin Durant down."
-@KendrickPerkins on the Suns after KD's injury pic.twitter.com/yxzqqbauQ6
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 31, 2025
This is a very bold take from Perkins with the Suns still in the fight for the final Play-In spot in the West but he does make a good point.
Phoenix has been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season and with Durant now set to miss their three-game road trip, the Suns may be out of contention by the time he returns.
If that is the case, it may be smart for the Suns to shut down Durant for the rest of the season before potentially trading him and possibly Beal in the offseason to rebuild around Devin Booker.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 5:46 PM.