The Golden State Warriors have been scouring the league for a blockbuster trade. They want to help Stephen Curry contend for his fifth championship, and their current roster isn’t built to do that. In recent days, Kevin Durant has popped up as a potential trade target, as the Phoenix Suns have not been successful in their quest to trade for Jimmy Butler yet.
Durant won two championships with the Warriors back in 2017 and 2018 but has since moved on. He played for the Brooklyn Nets and now resides in Phoenix, though he and Devin Booker have been unable to bring the organization to a deep playoff run together.
Yet, as the Suns reportedly listen to trade offers for Durant ahead of this year’s deadline, the Warriors are not a place he’s interested in.
Kevin Durant does not want to be traded to the Warriors
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Durant has no interest in returning to Golden State in a deal.
“The Warriors have been seriously pursuing Kevin Durant over the last week, but sources tell me Durant has no desire in a reunion with the Warriors,” Charania said. “He does not want to go back to the Warriors, where he won two championships, won two Finals MVPs. The Suns’ position in all this has been to continue to build around Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, but due to their record, teams have been very aggressive calling the Suns.
“It’s unclear where these talks go between now and tomorrow’s deadline, but one thing is clear around the league right now, and that’s Kevin Durant does not want to go back to the Warriors in any trade.”
Durant has been having an incredible season and was recently named an All-Star starter, but he evidently does not want to go to Golden State in a deal.
Whether or not that means Durant would veto any trade that removes him from Phoenix is unclear, but the Warriors are not a place he wants to be. And that begs the question—what does Golden State do now?
Theoretically, they could still pursue a Durant deal, but bringing in a superstar who has stated he does not want to be there isn’t a great idea. Chris Haynes reported that they don’t intend to do that, but they are running out of options.
Some other stars around the league the Warriors could look to trade for still include the likes of Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram, and Paul George, but the whale of a deal that was Durant seems to be out of the picture now.