Although Kevin Durant felt quite at home in Phoenix, the Suns traded him to Houston in the summer. Now the NBA star has spoken out about the deal for the first time and also criticized his former employer.
Despite a high-priced roster, the Phoenix Suns failed to even make the play-ins last season. However, Durant was not to blame for this. The 36-year-old finished the season averaging 26.6 points per game. That’s why the 15-time All-Star was also the most valuable bargaining chip on the Suns’ roster.
Back in February, months before the end of the season, Phoenix finally started looking for a trade partner for Durant. “At first, I was a little upset,” he now admits. “I thought we, me and the Phoenix Suns, had built a solid relationship. Hearing that from someone else was very upsetting,” he said about being put on the trade block at the time. “But that’s just the way the game is played.”
Durant on Doncic trade: “Biggest trade since I’ve been in the league”
Durant was also concerned about the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. “When you see things like that as an organization, it might give you a little more courage to take matters into your own hands. That has to be the biggest trade since I’ve been in the league. That was insane.”
However, no trade was made before the February 6 deadline, mainly because interest was still lukewarm at that point. “We knew the process would start up again around the summer. Then Houston got in touch, and from there, everything happened pretty quickly.”
The Rockets hope the trade will immediately propel them into title contention. The Texans already finished the preseason in second place in the West. Durant’s first meeting with his former team, Phoenix, will take place on November 24.
