With 38 points on the night, this was Durant's third-highest scoring total of the campaign. The Suns are sitting in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 35-37 record, but they are still within striking distance of several teams ahead of them. As long as Phoenix is in the playoff hunt, Durant isn't likely to be dialed back.

While the Suns have won substantially more compared to the losses that have been accrued when the two stars play together, it could feel as if the latter option is a last-ditch desperation move - as the Oklahoma City Thunder still loom large and it feels extremely unlikely that Phoenix can bridge that gap with a trade or two.