The Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of Kevin Durant was been halted by Durant himself. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Durant intervened to prevent a huge three team deal from going through.
The proposed trade would have seen Durant return to the Warriors, Butler head to the Phoenix Suns, and Wiggins move to the Miami Heat. However, Durant’s reluctance to rejoin the Warriors ultimately derailed the negotiations.
“There was a trade in place between Golden State, Phoenix and Miami, that would have returned Kevin Durant to Golden State. But Durant stepped up and made it known he did not want a reunion. Once that deal fell apart, Golden State then pivoted and tried to get Jimmy Butler.”
There was a deal in place that would have sent Kevin Durant to Golden State, Jimmy Butler to Phoenix, and Andrew Wiggins to Miami, but Durant stepped in to shut it down, per @WindhorstESPN
(🎥 @GetUpESPN )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 6, 2025
Durant, who won two NBA championships with the Warriors, has expressed reservations about returning to the team. His concerns stem from past issues, including how his injuries were handled during his previous stint in Golden State. Despite the Warriors’ aggressive pursuit, Durant’s stance made the deal highly unlikely.
The Golden State Warriors reportedly underestimated Kevin Durant’s “coldness” toward the organization. Even a conversation between Steph Curry and Durant left Curry feeling that a reunion was unlikely, per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon:
“At some point in the last several days, Stephen Curry had a conversation with Kevin Durant that convinced him a reunion was extremely unlikely, no matter how much the Golden State Warriors ownership group and front office collectively ‘underestimated’ Durant’s coldness toward a return, as one team source put it.”
The Suns, eager to add Butler to their roster, had been in talks with the Warriors and the Miami Heat. However, the Suns’ efforts were complicated by Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause, which made it difficult to finalize the deal.
In the end, the Warriors managed to secure Butler in a separate trade with the Miami Heat, sending Andrew Wiggins and other assets to the Heat.
