KD clarifies why he was not interested in Warriors reunion
Kevin Durant was not interested in a midseason trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Warriors, and his reason was valid.
Golden State and Phoenix reportedly that would have sent the superstar forward back to the Bay Area before Durant essentially verbally squashed the deal by communicating he did not want to return to the Warriors, which the organization respected.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr, when asked about the reported deal by during NBA All-Star Weekend, understood why Durant did not want to return to the Warriors.
“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” Kerr told ESPN. “He took so much s–t for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with Golden State as a free agent in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized.”
While Kerr’s theory certainly makes sense, some speculated that Durant was not interested in a Warriors reunion because of his complex history with former teammate Draymond Green.
Durant, in an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews that aired on Tuesday’s episode of “NBA Today,” squashed both narratives and revealed the real reason why he did not want to return to the Warriors.
“People talk crazy about me all the time,” Durant told Andrews. “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. It was nothing against my time with the Warriors, or I heard because I didn’t like Draymond. 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 can do the rest of the season. I’m glad I’m still there.”
Well, there you have it.
Durant not wanting to uproot his life mid-season certainly makes sense, even for an opportunity to reunite with the organization he won two championships with.
There will be plenty of time to assess his current situation with the Suns in the offseason, where trade chatter could pick up once again if Phoenix fails to make a deep NBA playoff run — or the playoffs altogether.
