Kevin Durant sounded off on why he nixed a trade to the Warriors at the NBA trade deadline.
On “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” the Suns star said any deal away from Phoenix would have been too complicated for his taste.
“I want my career to end on my terms. That’s the only thing I’m worried about. I see a lot of dudes that don’t get the opportunity,” Durant said. “But as far as the Warriors, I didn’t want to move and a player like me, I cost a lot. Me going to your team, it’s going to be a whole new era to your team when I get to your team.
“My contract and just my production, 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. It’s like, I get why y’all want to trade me and why y’all looking at it. It just doesn’t make sense for either side right now to go through it.”
As Durant continued, he appeared to leave the door open to being dealt away this summer.
“We play the season out and if that’s the decision [the Suns] want to make in the offseason, then you figure it out. It’s just such a big change to make and I’ve been through it before and I’m like, that ain’t really it.”
Despite speculation from Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Durant told ESPN in the aftermath of the deadline that outside chatter had no role in denying a return to the Bay Area.
“People talk crazy about me all the time,” Durant said in an interview with 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, 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.”
Instead of acquiring Durant, who played three seasons and won two NBA championships with Golden State, the Warriors brought in Jimmy Butler, who has helped the team to a 5-1 record since the deadline.
Durant, 36, remained with the Suns, who are a disappointing 27-31 and quickly falling out of the Western Conference playoff race.