Kevin Durant joined the Houston Rockets in a trade during this NBA offseason. For a year now, it’s been the league’s worst-kept secret that KD wanted to leave the Phoenix Suns. Despite the former MVP’s advancing age, many teams showed an interest in acquiring his services. His former team, the Golden State Warriors, was among those to offer up a package.
On paper, it seems like a no-brainer for Durant to return to Golden State. He won two championships and two Finals MVPs with the franchise, and he has a phenomenal relationship with Stephen Curry. The Suns were ready to take the deal, too, but the Slim Reaper shut it down himself. And during a segment of Netflix’s Starting 5, Durant revealed why he did that.
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“No fucking way they tryna do this shit behind my back… But don’t send me to the Warriors… I told Steph [Curry] ‘I don’t think it’s a smart move for either one of us basketball-wise”
Kevin Durant on not wanting to go to the Warriors at the deadline 🗣️
pic.twitter.com/SwATyZD5AS
— LoonMuse⚜️ (@KevonLooneyMuse) October 17, 2025
“I understand the business, I know I’m the guy, if s**t was going south, I’d be the easiest to trade, you know what I’m saying?” Durant said. “But don’t send me to the Warriors, that’s what I was telling them. I know they gotta trade me, like make it somewhere else but the Warriors.
“It’s not because I don’t want to go back to the storyline, but I don’t want to go and gut the whole team. I’m like, first of all, I don’t even want to get traded, because it’s gonna be a lot of bulls**t. I’ll take the whole team away from the next team I’m going to, deplete them from everything they got just so I can fit in there.”
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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant celebrates with guard Stephen Curry during the first half against the Los Angeles Clippers. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images
Durant’s decision to move to the Warriors in 2016 made him the league’s biggest villain for a long time. While he says he doesn’t care about the narrative, that’s sure to have some impact as well. Ultimately, it worked out for the best for him, though. KD is the perfect fit for a young Rockets team and will make them legitimate championship contenders this year.
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