"Kevin Durant's requesting a trade" - NBA fans speculate about 2x Finals MVP's future as Suns drop one game below .500 again 

Kevin Durant's Phoenix Suns lost 122-117 during Tuesday's road matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, falling back below .500 (19-20). The disappointing showing left NBA fans speculating about the two-time NBA Finals MVP's future in Phoenix.

Amid the Suns' underwhelming first half of the season, coach Mike Budenholzer tinkered with his lineups earlier this month. He shifted star guard Bradley Beal and center Jusuf Nurkic to bench roles, with Nurkic later falling out of his rotation.

Budenholzer replaced the duo with defensive-oriented role players Ryan Dunn and Mason Plumlee, balancing his starting five around Durant and his co-star Devin Booker.

The move appeared to be paying off, as Phoenix started 4-1 with Beal coming off the pine. However, the team's defensive deficiencies were further amplified on Tuesday.

The Suns allowed Hawks star point guard Trae Young to score a season-high 43 points. Meanwhile, Atlanta big man Onyeka Okongwu recorded 22 points and a career-high 21 rebounds.

Moreover, Phoenix's five-point defeat came despite Durant and Booker combining for 66 points. The loss dropped the top-heavy squad to 11th in the Western Conference, outside the play-in picture.

After the game, fans on X/Twitter predicted Durant would seek a trade ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

"Kevin Durant's requesting a trade in a few weeks," @dgsire said.

"KD (is) about to ask out," @hoover672 wrote.

Meanwhile, others asserted that Phoenix should look to sell high on the 36-year-old while he still has significant trade value.

"They are old and slow. This team can't get out of the first round in the West. They need to trade Nurkic and Durant for a center and a bench," @JohnnyLasVegas said.

"They gotta trade KD while he still has so much value," @MagnusTnt wrote.

"Just blow it up, man. Imagine the haul you could get for both (Durant and Booker)," @motorcitypoison said.

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Kevin Durant on Suns' lackluster defensive effort in loss to Hawks

During Tuesday's postgame interview, Kevin Durant broke down why his team came up short against Atlanta despite leading by nine points in the third quarter.

The 14-time All-Star attributed Phoenix's shortcomings to its failure to rebound and defend without fouling. The Suns were outrebounded 20-6 on the offensive glass. Meanwhile, the Hawks finished with 14 more shot attempts (98-84).

"Second-chance points and fouls," Durant said. "They got to the free-throw line, and they got second-chance points off 10 offensive rebounds from Okongwu and 20 offensive rebounds as a team. 14 more shots. Yeah, that's the game."

Durant and Co. will look to return to .500 during Thursday's road showdown against the league-worst Washington Wizards (6-32).

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