Ahead of this year’s trade deadline, reports said that the Golden State Warriors were aggressively pursuing a Kevin Durant reunion. So much so that there was reportedly a trade in place before Durant rejected the idea. At the time, many speculated about why Durant did not have interest in a trade back to the Warriors. Recently, the two-time Finals MVP opened up about the rumors with former teammate Draymond Green.
On a recent episode of Green’s podcast (YouTube link), Durant revealed why he did not want to get traded to the Warriors. According to the Phoenix Suns star, he simply had no interest in a mid-season trade, no matter where he ended up.
“We just play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason then you figure it out,” Durant said. “It’s just such a big change to make and I’ve been through it before I was like damn that’s not really it. If I can stop it then why not?”
“A player like me costs a lot…When I get to your team and that’s a lot of work through the season like I’m still of value, especially with my contract and just my production that me just getting up and moving in the middle of season, it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going.”
Additionally, Durant said he did not think it made sense for the Warriors to pursue him.
“Look what y’all doing right now,” Durant told Green. “You’re looking good with Jimmy [Butler] and then you still got Kuminga on the way back so I didn’t think [trading for me] made sense.”
Kevin Durant Gets Brutally Honest About Golden State Warriors Trade Rumors
A Kevin Durant Trade Seems Inevitable
While the Suns held on to Durant past this year’s trade deadline, a split seems highly likely. In February, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Durant will “probably” get traded in the offseason.
“Yeah, [Durant]’s probably going to get traded this summer. He knows it, the Suns know it, the rest of the league know[s] it, they’re going to enjoy him while they have him. It’s not really controversial in all honesty… you have an extremely expensive team that is not winning, and the player that is their most expensive player, who is playing great but not impacting them on a positive level, you do not need a high-level analyst to tell you that they probably need to trade him, which is why they were exploring the trade market for him…I would expect this summer for Durant and the Suns to work together to find a new home.”
Despite being 36 years old, Durant is still a top player in the NBA. Furthermore, he finished ninth in MVP voting just last year. He may not be in his prime anymore, but Durant provides a lot of value on the court. If the Suns trade him, it will be worth following how many suitors he has and what the return may look like.
The Last Word
Even if the Suns trade Durant in the offseason, they must get through this season first. Unfortunately for Phoenix, their outlook looks rough. They are 27-31 and own the No. 11 seed in the West. If the season ended today, they would miss the postseason entirely. On a positive note, they are only 4.5 games behind the No. 6 seed Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless, this has been a disappointing season for them. Even if they can make the postseason, a deep playoff run is highly unlikely. With less than two months remaining this season, they remain a team to monitor.
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