Source: David Berding / Getty
Kevin Durant is headed to his fifth team this season, the Houston Rockets, and recently discussed the inner workings of that trade.
While at the Game Plan Sports Business Summit on Sept. 16, he confirmed once again that once he neared the trade deadline last season, the Golden State Warriors pushed for a reunion to have him back in the Bay.
It was his business partner, Rich Kleiman, and his history with the team that allowed them to respectfully pause that move.
“I heard Golden State was in the mix around the trade deadline, but that’s when Rich came into play, and those relationships that we built around the league and also playing in Golden State helped,” Durant said, according to the Arizona Republic. “We were able to tell them kind of hold off on that.”
Since being traded in the middle of the 2022-23 season, alongside Devin Booker, he has seen some success, staying healthy and making the playoffs in two consecutive seasons. So, he was a bit disappointed when he learned that the front office put him on the trading block.
“Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns,” Durant said. “And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were.”
This isn’t the first time Durant said he vetoed the trade; he mentioned it on The Draymond Green Podcast back in February, explaining he’d rather finish out the season and deal with it in the summer.
Durant is on the back half of his career, but with some more years in the tank — he’s still averaging 50% from the field and 43% from three-point range — he’ll provide a great veteran role for the young Rockets core, which consists of Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard. He’s also got a fellow seasoned player in Fred VanVleet, plus, head coach Ime Udoka is at the helm.
See social media’s reaction to Durant refusing to reunite with the Warriors below.