WHY THE NBA'S KD SITUATION (KEVIN DURANT) WAS LIKE THE PBA'S KD SITUATION (KENNETH DUREMDES) BACK IN 2003?

FROM CNN

The 2025 NBA Playoffs are just a couple of days away, and the matchups are already looking spicy. The Play-In Tournament alone is a banger—with the Sacramento Kings taking on the suddenly surging Dallas Mavericks. Then, there's another clash between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies. The winner of that game locks in the 7th seed, while the loser gets one last shot at the 8th seed against the Sac-Dallas survivor.

Say what you want about Adam Silver's wild ideas, but the Play-In has been one of his best moves. And hopefully, whichever teams grab those last two playoff spots can give legit problems to the likes of OKC, Houston, the Lakers, Denver, the Clippers, and Minnesota.

But here’s the part that sucks: the Phoenix Suns are out.

Done.

No playoffs.

That’s rough when you realize they’re shelling out $150 million this season for Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal—and are on the hook for $160 million next season for the same trio. And that’s before you add in the $50 million they owe to role players like Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, Cody Martin, Vasilije Micić, Nick Richards, Ryan Dunn, and Oso Ighodaro. Add in zero draft picks and maybe around $25 million left to complete the rest of the roster. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.

And it all stems from the decision to go all-in on Kevin Durant—trading away glue guys like Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson in the process. Before this season, KD’s teams had always made the playoffs—except for two injury-plagued years. So now that he's reportedly asking out again, maybe it’s time Phoenix actually considers it.

Beal might have the uglier contract on paper, but KD’s about to turn 37. Sure, he’s still a Top 20 player in the league—maybe even Top 10 for some. But he's also one of the most polarizing. Behind only LeBron and Steph when it comes to accolades, Durant’s legacy is secure—but wherever he goes, synergy tends to break down. Coaching staffs get reshuffled, benches get depleted, and future picks are mortgaged.

Just look at how the Lakers lucked into Austin Reaves or how Miami and Golden State consistently develop young talent. You don’t get that luxury on a KD-led team—not unless he gets hurt or leaves.

In a weird way, KD’s Phoenix tenure reminds me of when Kenneth Duremdes was traded from Alaska to Sta. Lucia. After the 1998 almost-grand slam, Duremdes was the last main piece standing, and in 2003, Alaska sent him packing for Sta. Lucia’s draft picks. That led to Alaska getting Brandon Cablay and Eugene Tejada, while the Realtors formed a Big 3 with Duremdes, Marlou Aquino, and Dennis Espino. But to make it work under the cap, they had to give away Marvin Ortiguerra, Gherome Ejercito, and Omanzie Rodriguez to FedEx for free. It wasn’t until they drafted Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes and made a couple more trades—including shipping Duremdes to Coca-Cola for Denok Miranda—that they found success again.

The point? Superstars are great, but building around them—especially three of them—is a dangerous game.

Kevin Durant is still a monster. No question. He might not have led his own team to a ring, but he’s a walking bucket and a living asset. That said, you can’t be paying three guys 60% of your cap and still miss the playoffs.

If Booker’s your only untouchable and Beal won’t waive his no-trade clause, then Phoenix needs to move KD—for assets, picks, and maybe a shot at restoring balance.