The Golden State Warriors may have to contend with five other teams if they are going to revisit a Kevin Durant trade in the offseason.
“Back at the NBA trade deadline, there was a list of teams that there was mutual interest with Kevin Durant,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said on “The Pat MacAfee Show” on Wednesday. “Those teams, from my understanding, are Minnesota, that’s New York, Houston, San Antonio and Miami.
“Those are the types of teams, from my understanding, that had interest then, and I expect them all to be in the mix this offseason. But the biggest thing to keep an eye on for all NBA fans and fans of those teams is: How does your team finish in the playoffs? How do the playoffs go? Because that’s going to really determine who feels like they’re a Kevin Durant away.”
The Warriors were so close to reuniting with Durant that would have seen them surrendering both Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga in the multi-team trade framework which also involved the Heat.
Why Kevin Durant Rejected Midseason Trade
Durant ultimately rejected a midseason reunion with the Warriors, where he won his two NBA titles and Finals MVP awards. He later revealed on the “Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis” that he did not want to get traded midseason.
A potential trade in the offseason is a different story.
“We just play the season out and if that’s the decision you want to make in the offseason then you figure it out,” Durant told Green and Davis in February. “It’s just such a big change to make and I’ve been through it before I was like damn that’s not really it. If I can stop it then why not?”
So Durant stopped the trade before the Warriors would have mortgaged their future for him.
“A player like me costs a lot,” Durant explained. “Going into your team is gonna be a whole new era of your team when I get to your team and that’s a lot of work through the season like I’m still of value, especially with my contract and just my production that me just getting up and moving in the middle of season, it’s going to be a big blow to any team I’m going.”
Trade Rejection Turns Out a Blessing in Disguise for Warriors
Durant learned his lesson when he forced his way to Phoenix in the middle of the 2023-24 season, costing the Suns their top perimeter players Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, four first-round draft picks and a pick swap. He did not want the Warriors to suffer the same fate.
“Look what y’all doing right now,” Durant told Green. “You’re looking good with Jimmy [Butler] and then you still got Kuminga on the way back so I didn’t think [trading for me] made sense.”
The Warriors got Butler at a cheaper cost, with only Wiggins as the key player and a protected first-round pick going out. Golden State still has Kuminga and their other draft capital to make another move this summer.
The Warriors turned their season around with Butler, climbing from 11th to No. 5 heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. They are 19-4 with Butler.
On the other hand, the Suns continued to struggle after Durant rejected a swap with Butler. They are 10-16 since the trade deadline.
Durant’s left ankle injury on Sunday could be the final blow to the Suns’ postseason bid as they are 1.5 games out of the play-in tournament with the toughest remaining schedule.
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