Good news, Warriors fans. Kevin Durant isn’t exactly opposed to a reunion with the franchise, according to the two-time NBA Finals MVP.
In an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Durant denied reports that he was against returning to Golden State before the 2025 NBA trade deadline.
“I just didn’t want to get traded midway through the season,” Durant said. “It was nothing against my time with the Warriors, or I heard because I don’t like Draymond [Green]. 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 could do the rest of this season. I’m glad I’m still there.”
Durant also refuted Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s suggestion that he did not want to return fearing public backlash.
The Reunion Almost Happened
“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” Kerr told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN on February 14. “He took so much [expletive] 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.”
In response to Kerr’s comments, Durant said: “People talk crazy about me all the time.”
The reunion between the Warriors and Kevin Durant nearly happened at the 2025 NBA trade deadline, per several reports. The Warriors, the Suns, and Heat had a framework in place that would have sent Jimmy Butler to Phoenix, Durant to Golden State, and Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and draft picks to Miami.
According to multiple insiders, Durant didn’t want to return to the Bay Area due to the manner in which the Warriors handled his calf/Achilles injury during the 2019 NBA Finals. It was also suggested that Durant hadn’t fully repaired strained relationships with Kerr, Green and Warriors governor Joe Lacob.
Should Warriors Trade For KD?
While the Warriors failed to acquire Durant at the 2025 trade deadline, they may have another shot at the star forward in the 2025 offseason.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Durant’s future with the Suns remains uncertain and the 11-time All-Star is a prime trade candidate in the offseason.
“He’s probably going to get traded this summer,” Windhorst said of Durant. “He knows it. The Suns know it. The rest of the league knows it. They’re going to enjoy him while they have him…. It’s not really controversial, in all honesty. They’re under .500. They have a $230 million payroll, then add over $100 million on tax on top of that.”
Durant addressed those reports in a chat with ESPN on February 18.
“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,” Durant admitted. “Probably should check in with those guys in the front office throughout the rest of the season to see how they’re feeling about the team. I know I’m going to try to keep bringing my best every single day. I’ll let the higher-ups focus on what’s next.”
Durant is averaging 27.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his 17th season in the NBA.
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