It seemed at times like every Sun was involved in some form of trade speculation. Some were floated as pieces in a hypothetical deal for forward Jimmy Butler, who ultimately wound up traded from the Miami Heat to the Golden State Warriors. Star forward Kevin Durant was kicked around in potential deals as well—only to remain with Phoenix.

“I’ll use ‘toxic’,” Shelburne said, describing the Suns’ locker room after a tough trade deadline that saw most players floated in deals. “That shootaround, I heard, was very awkward, very weird because everyone was on pins and needles wondering what they were going to do.”

The Phoenix Suns did not part ways with Kevin Durant ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, but they may have an awkward situation to handle in

Over the past 24 hours, the Phoenix Suns have had reports of a toxic locker room. However, head coach Mike Budenholzer wasn’t buying any of it. Although the initial report came from ESPN, Suns players refuted the toxic locker room environment.