Last season was rough for both Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns. There were reports that with the friction already growing between the Suns and Durant, the Golden State Warriors were in the mix to make a blockbuster move for the reunion.
However, the trade talks died down. Durant reportedly had made it clear that he didn't want to join the Warriors, and in turn, the Dubs respected his decision.
On Friday on CNBC's Game Plan Sports Business Summit," when asked about the Warriors rumor, Durant clarified that he blocked the trade talks because he wanted to finish the season with the Suns and address the trade in the offseason.
"I heard Golden State was in the mix around the trade deadline, but that's when (Durant's business partner and manager) Rich (Kleiman) came into play, and those relationships that we built around the league and also playing in Golden State helped," Durant said. "We were able to tell them to kind of hold off on that."
Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.
KD added that once the offseason arrived, the Houston Rockets made a big move.
"Since me being on the market in February when there's also a trade deadline, people were just kind of seeing how their seasons played out and what they needed for their teams," Durant added. "We knew we would revisit that right around the summertime, and Houston kind of jumped on, and it happened pretty fast from there."
The two-time NBA champion's move to join the young Rockets core has moved the league's power center, significantly elevating their chances of winning the title next season.
Kevin Durant gets honest about moving on from Phoenix Suns
Last season, the Phoenix Suns had three of the league's best scorers, but the result was disastrous. They failed to make the playoffs and entered the offseason with a big Kevin Durant question.
In the conversation with CNBC, the Rockets star said that it was something other than the trade that upset him about the Suns.
"Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns," Durant said. "And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that's just the name of the game. So, I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were."
Durant was part of a historic trade that involved seven teams, including the Warriors, LA Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets.
Warriors Nation! You can check out the latest Golden State Warriors Schedule and dive into the Warriors Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.