Kevin Durant has once again spoken out on his failed reunion with the Golden State Warriors, with the 2x Finals MVP reiterating that he and his management blocked a move back to the Bay Area in early February.
Durant confirmed at a recent business summit that the relationships formed during his previous tenure with the Warriors helped in telling them to "hold off," allowing for a subsequent blockbuster move to the Houston Rockets this offseason.
Rockets can grant Kevin Durant a wish Warriors could not
Rather than being moved to the Warriors in a frenzy at the mid-season deadline, Durant was able to assess the market and angle his way towards the Rockets who ultimately gave up Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and the No. 10 overall pick (Khaman Maluach).
There's no doubt that the opportunity to head to a young, deep and up-and-coming team would have appealed to Durant. We know the 15x All-Star is one of the best scorers in the history of the league, and the opportunity to fill an offensive gap on a team who's biggest weakness was shot-making makes a lot of sense.
Durant was an underrated defender earlier in his career and during his time at the Warriors, but at 36-years-old he doesn't want to be expending too much energy on that side of the ball. It's also not optimal for him to be playing huge minutes every night during the regular season, having played more than 62 games just once since tearing his achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals.
Fortunately for Durant, this Rockets team will be perfectly suited with their depth and defensive excellence to continue stacking wins even if he misses a period through injury or rest. That should allow him to enter the playoffs in the best shape possible, giving him a real opportunity to chase a third NBA title.
Would he have been afforded the same luxury at the Warriors who would have given up Jonathan Kuminga on top of Andrew Wiggins in February's potential trade? The burden on Durant would have certainly been higher in Golden State, and therefore the leeway for him to miss significant time in the regular season would have been far less.
The Warriors still have one thing the Rockets don't though...Stephen Curry. Durant's inability to win a championship without his former co-star is starting to taint his legacy a little, but there should be no excuses on a Rockets squad that is now built to be a legitimate contender.