Kevin Durant Says He Shut Down Potential Warriors Trade for a Relatable Reason

“It’s just such a big change, and I’ve been through it before,” the NBA star noted while appearing on Draymond Green and Baron Davis’ podcast

Kevin Durant’s dedication to the Phoenix Suns isn’t the only reason he rejected the idea of a trade deal with the Golden State Warriors in early February.

“I didn’t want to move,” the 36-year-old NBA star said of not switching teams in a conversation with Draymond Green and Baron Davis on a recent episode of their podcast, The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis.  

“It’s just such a big change, and I’ve been through it before,” he noted later in the show of the rumors that the Warriors were going to ask him to come back as the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadline loomed. ”I was like, ‘Damn, that’s not really it.’ “

The two-time NBA champion was a force on the court during his three seasons with the Warriors. Durant then joined the Suns in 2023 after a few years with the Brooklyn Nets. 

For Durant, returning to the San Francisco team in the middle of the season wasn’t an option. 

“Me just getting up and moving in the middle of the season, it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going to,” Durant continued on the podcast, adding that he costs “a lot.” “From me, looking at it, it just don’t make sense for either side right now.”

The Olympic gold medalist shared that he wants to see what his Arizona team can accomplish together, especially with the departure of Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges, who were traded to the Nets two years ago. 

“I’m trying to see this through to the end and see what we can really do with it, you know what I’m saying?” Durant told Green and Davis. “I feel like I’m committed to my coaches and teammates.” 

Later in the podcast, the power forward reflected on some of his favorite moments playing with NBA legends LeBron James, 40, and Stephen Curry, 36. 

“I felt like I was the only one on the court who knew what he was thinking,” said Durant of playing with Curry, his former Warriors teammate, during the 2024 Summer Olympics. After playing for so long together, Durant knew what plays Curry wanted to make without any verbal communication. 

“That was cool to feel again,” he added. 

The two former teammates were joined by LeBron James, a forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, and other big names on Team USA, eventually winning gold. 

The win and the meaning behind the global event was powerful for Durant, who spoke about the Olympic games during one of his most emotional interviews in the Netflix documentary Court of Gold.

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“People get to start laughing and joking before a game of ball, it’s cool to me, so it gets me emotional,” said Durant in the documentary, which follows Team USA’s gold medal finish at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. “People travel so long to come see their favorite player in the Olympics. They spend their money, they bring their whole family. It’s just dope to me.”

Now that the Olympics are over, Durant will continue to make career decisions that work best for him.

“I want my career to end on my terms,” he said on the podcast. “That’s the only thing I’m worried about, you know what I’m saying?”