Kevin Durant and his business manager, Rich Kleiman, only learned of the Phoenix Suns’ trade talks with the Golden State Warriors involving him on Friday, January 31. The Warriors played the Suns that evening in San Francisco. Talks had been ongoing for several days that week.
Stephen Curry discussed with Durant the concept of him returning to the Warriors. Curry wanted to understand how Durant would feel about being traded back to the Warriors after leaving the team in 2019. Durant told Curry that it didn’t “feel right” and that this “wasn’t the time” to reunite, according to multiple sources. Durant also said he was happy in Phoenix and didn’t want to leave the team.
The Warriors interpreted it as a “soft ‘no'”, which discouraged the decision-makers, but it didn’t completely end their pursuit of advancing talks. Golden State hoped Durant’s feeling could change once he understood the extent in which the Suns discussed his name in trade talks with multiple teams.
The Warriors viewed both the Suns and Miami Heat as teams desperate to make a trade, but incapable of doing so with a third team involved due to the immovable contract of Bradley Beal. The Warriors, who had their own sense of desperation as they pursued yet another star, hoped they could acquire Durant while helping the Suns finally get Butler to go with a more fleshed out roster.
Phoenix would have received Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Jonas Valanciunas, two first round picks (via Golden State), two second round picks (one from Warriors, one from Heat), plus pick swaps. The Warriors would have received Durant, while Andrew Wiggins, Cleveland’s 2025 first round pick, Dennis Schroder and Kyle Anderson would have gone to the Heat. The Heat, however, wanted the Warriors’ 2025 first round pick, not the Cavs’ pick. The Warriors were uneasy with the Suns’ ask for Durant. At one point, the Warriors considered moving forward with the Butler trade with Miami separately and the using him as leverage in their talks with the Suns for Durant.
The Suns now concede they made a mistake not looping Durant into talks. Durant had to send final word on the eve of the trade deadline that he clearly didn’t want to return to the Warriors.
“Probably the same reasons he left,” a Warriors’ source conceded. “It would’ve been a f—ing circus.”