Kevin Durant referred to the reasons why he didn't want to get traded to the Golden State Warriors and stay in Phoenix instead.
Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant had been reportedly unhappy about being involved in trade discussions, since he expressed a desire to stay in Phoenix.
Durant even intervened to halt a trade that would have sent him to the Golden State Warriors, with Jimmy Butler coming to the Suns and Andrew Wiggins heading to the Miami Heat.
Durant's reasons for turning down a Warriors reunion were clarified in an interview with ESPN.
“People talk crazy about me all the time. That’s not the reason why I didn’t want to come back, I just didn’t want to get traded midway through the season," he explained.
"It was nothing against my time with the Warriors, or I heard because I don’t like Draymond [Green]. At the end of the day, I just didn’t want to move and I wanted to see it through with my team in Phoenix and see what we could do the rest of this season, so I’m glad I’m still there.”
Some days before Durants' statements, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr had dismissed the fan criticism theory, arguing that he would understand why Durant didn't want to experience again what happened when he first joined the Warriors.
"I don't blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here," Kerr said during the All-Star festivities at the Warriors' Chase Center.
"He took so much sh-- for like, 'Oh, you're jumping on the bandwagon'. And then he's Finals MVP two years in a row. It's like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that bs again?" Kerr wondered.
The non-trade left Durant on a Suns team that holds a record of 26-28, currently 11th place in the Western Conference and out of the play-in tournament.
This season, Durant has been performing at a high level, averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.
KD is currently earning $51.1 million this season and is under contract for one more year at $52.7 million for the 2025-26 season.
Subscribe to BN+ and get access to exclusive content.
Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
San Antonio Spurs
Chicago Bulls
Toronto Raptors
Memphis Grizzlies