NBA rumors: Kevin Durant accidentally shades top NBA Draft prospect

In trying to defend himself from the never-ending “super team” criticism, Suns star Kevin Durant accidentally dissed a young, up-and-coming NBA prospect.

Any Kevin Durant trade in NBA history has always rocked the boat, and his shocking move to the Phoenix Suns is no different. The former Brooklyn Nets star was shipped to the Suns three weeks ago in return for four first-round picks, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and a few other pieces of compensation.

It was arguably the most jaw-dropping deal ahead of the NBA trade deadline and seemed like a fair trade for both sides: Phoenix gets a one-of-a-kind shooter to pad its reputation and make a strong championship push in the West, and the Nets get to erase their failed Big Three experiment and adopt several young pieces who can get the rebuild started.

For Durant, he still gets to play with a considerable amount of star power, going from Kyrie Irving and James Harden to Devin Booker and Chris Paul, though his haters will point out his affinity for joining already competitive teams.

The NBA media has often been Durant’s harshest critics, and Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have each intimated that Durant was taking the easy route to win rings, compared to, say, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant who won championships without their star teammates.

Durant, never one to back down from a feud, clapped back at Barkley and O’Neal and unintentionally dissed an elite NBA prospect in the process.

Kevin Durant fires back at media critics and one of his shots accidentally ricochets off Scoot Henderson

Durant stressed he didn’t need any credit from Barkley, Shaq, or anyone from the NBA community, telling people: “Don’t talk about me if you don’t (rock) with me. I’m not gonna stop doing what I do.”

Is he feeling a little insecure from all the criticism? Maybe. The two rings Durant won in his career were during his time on the Golden State Warriors, joining an elite trifecta of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green back in 2016.

Durant left for the Brooklyn Nets four years later, linking up with — yet again — high-profile names like Irving and Harden to contend for another championship. When that whole situation imploded, he joined the Phoenix Suns in 2023, turning a heavyweight contender in the West into a seemingly invincible Muhammad Ali.

There’s no question that Durant is thriving in Phoenix at the moment, but did he really have to throw shade at Scoot Henderson like that? Henderson, the projected No. 2 pick in the NBA draft this year, will more than likely land on a rebuilding team and still has his entire career in front of him.

A 13-time All-Star doesn’t want to play with 19-year-olds, that’s the ultimate takeaway. Some people may find that pretentious, others believe it’s an ugly stain on his career, and Durant just doesn’t give a crap. To each his own.