Kevin Durant, Steve Kerr Weigh in On Why Deal Never Materialized Between Suns and Warriors

There were plenty of big, splashy moves at the NBA trade deadline, but one of the biggest was one that actually didn’t happen. The Warriors, despite many reports of interest from both sides, did not end up bringing future hall of famer Kevin Durant back to their team.

The six-foot-nine guard is on the tail-end of his career, but he’s still one of the most dynamic scorers in the NBA. He’s averaging an incredibly impressive 27.3 points per game along with 6 rebounds and 4.2 assists. It’s hard to be much better than that.

Durant is a stretch threat, can play solid defense, and creates a nightmare matchup for just about any opposing team. Putting him back with Golden State, especially Stephen Curry, would have undoubtedly made the team instant contenders.

Fans have already witnessed one team up between Durant and Curry, a historic run that led to multiple rings, and would have loved to witness another. Which is why so many were confused when the deal didn’t get done.

Now, everyone might finally have an answer why.

A Desire to Stay Put

According to reports, the Warriors and Suns weren’t just talking about moving Durant back to California. They had a deal in place.  Everything was set to go in what would have been one of the biggest moves of the season, and both sides were interested.

The Warriors would get Durant and the Suns would land Heat star Jimmy Butler. Pieces were in place. Contracts were lined up. Then, everything fell apart.

There were several reasons for that, but the biggest was Durant himself

The lengthy guard reportedly was the one who negated the trade by informing the Suns he had no desire to go back to the Warriors.

There has been much speculation about why he didn’t want to go, and the shooter himself finally shed some light on that decision during the NBA all-star break. In an interview with ESPN, the big man said that, despite his ties to the Bay Area, he simply didn’t want to move.

“People talk crazy about him all the time,” Durant stated

“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, so I’m glad I’m still there.”

Kerr Weighs In

Durant’s explanation directly contrasts the speculation that he didn’t want to move due to some animosity with the Warriors, or the fact that he was tired of being criticized for chasing rings.

Despite that, he wasn’t the only one to weigh in on the situation

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also has his own theory about why Durant decided to stay in Phoenix. He speculated on the fan theory, and believes that the outside noise prevented the guard from reuniting with Curry.

“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things,” the coach said

“He took so much s*** for like, “oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with the Warriors in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?”

That’s a fair statement, and one that could have some truth. Durant’s first stint with the Warriors is still one of the most criticized moves in NBA history. By staying in Phoenix, he gets to dodge the noise and focus on doing what he can to get the Suns to the postseason.

A Different Type of Star

Ultimately, the Warriors missed a huge opportunity. Bringing in Durant would have undoubtedly shifted the landscape of the Western Conference. Even so, while things didn’t come together, they still landed a superstar in Jimmy Butler.

The strong guard is right around the same age as Durant, and while he isn’t quite on the same level offensively,  he’s still an incredible scorer, defender, and leader. He’s been solid in his first games with the team, and will only get better as time goes on.

In fact, Draymond Green guaranteed the Warriors are going to win the NBA championship during a recent interview. While that might be a bit of a stretch, especially with where the team is currently at, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

There is plenty of time left in the NBA season. Golden State might have to venture on without Durant, but Butler is a great replacement. One who, in the right circumstances, could even bring them a ring.