Kevin Durant Addresses Failed Warriors Trade In New Interview

Amid the frenzy of the NBA trade deadline, rumors swirled about a possible Durant-Warriors reunion. However, Kevin Durant’s decision to decline a midseason trade to the Golden State Warriors earlier this year sparked widespread speculation and debate.

Initial Assumptions

Warriors general manager Bob Meyers and head coach Steve Kerr attributed the criticism Durant received the first time he joined Golden State as the potential reason he did not want to return this season.

"I don't blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here," Kerr told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. "He took so much s--- 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."

The Actual Reason

While reports claimed the 16-time All-Star rejected the trade, Durant himself dismissed the notion that he was unwilling to return to Golden State.

The real reason behind Durant’s decision is actually quite straightforward—he simply didn’t want to make a midseason move.

"People talk crazy about me all the time," Durant told Malika Andrews of ESPN. "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."

Kevin Durant on a potential trade this summer:

"You gotta ask the front office about that…I didn't ask for a trade from Phoenix.”

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)

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— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 18, 2025

When asked how the rest of the season with the Suns will shape out, Durant said, "You have to ask the front office about that. I never planned on leaving or getting traded. I didn't ask for a trade from Phoenix. But, obviously, when you pay so much for a team and we're not playing up to our expectation, someone has to go."

This has obviously caused speculation amongst NBA fans, who have taken to social media to react to Durant's comments and the possibility of him getting traded in the offseason.