Kevin Durant wasn’t off-limits at the trade deadline. His name was floated in trade talks, and one scenario that kept popping up was a potential reunion with the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors had been hovering around the play-in all season, and the pressure to maximize Curry’s window was only growing. They eventually acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, giving Curry the co-star he had been missing. But leading up to that, they were still holding onto the possibility of bringing Durant back.
The 36-year-old Suns superstar remains a top player in the league, averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 52.4% shooting, making him a highly tempting option for Golden State.
It’s no surprise that the team pursued him until the trade deadline. But by then, Durant had already made his stance clear to Curry. He had reportedly told his former Warriors teammate that he wasn’t looking to run it back in Golden State.
Per ESPN:
“Durant and his longtime business manager, Rich Kleiman, only learned of the stunning talks when the Suns played the Warriors on Jan. 31.
It was a lot to digest. So Durant and Curry discussed the idea the next day, hours before the poker tournament. Curry wanted a read on how Durant would feel about returning to the team he had chosen to leave after the 2019 Finals, sources said.
Durant told him it didn’t “feel right” and that this “wasn’t the time” to revisit their basketball partnership, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the conversations. He added he was happy in Phoenix and wasn’t looking to play elsewhere.”
