Kevin Durant officially confirmed what has been rumored for months: The Suns almost sent him back to the Warriors before Russelling the plug.
“Initially, I was a little frustrated because I felt like I had a strong relationship, the Phoenix Sun and I,” Durant said recently at the Business Summit at Game Plan Sports. “And it was frustrating to hear another party, but it was just the name of the game. So I quickly got over that and tried to figure out what’s next.”
Reports at the time indicated that a multi-team deal had been reached, which could lead Jimmy Butler to Phoenix and Durant to Golden State.
Durant admitted that negotiations were indeed underway, but he had a say in stopping them.
“I heard that the Golden State is on the temporary deadline, but that’s the rich [Kleiman] Durant explained that those relationships we have built around the league and the games in Golden State helped. We can tell them to have reservations about it. ”
The former MVP said timing was the main factor in his decision.
“Since I was also on the market in February, people just saw how their season performed and what they needed for the team,” Durant said. “We knew we were going to get around that in the summer, Houston jumped down and started very quickly from there.”
Meanwhile, Phoenix failed to make the playoffs and never won a trio of Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker.
Durant’s trade with Houston brings back Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green and the 10th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
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