The Golden State Warriors had a dismal season as they were eliminated from the Play-In Tournament by the Sacramento Kings, and they did not qualify for the postseason. Another team with great hopes coming into the season, the Phoenix Suns of the Western Conference, also underperformed and lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.
According to Stephen Noh of the Sporting News, Kevin Durant, 35, who is currently with the Sun and was formerly a star for the Warriors, may be a good fit to return to Golden State if he becomes available in the offseason.
Last season, the 21-year-old forward scored 16.1 points per game on average. One of the draft’s steals in 2023, Brandin Podziemski won Steve Kerr over right away. Trayce Jackson-Davis demonstrated that he might be a viable backup big man in the NBA, and Moses Moody showed signs of growth.In a Durant trade, the majority of those players—if not all of them—would have to leave, providing the Suns with much-needed depth and youth behind Booker.
Kevin Durant Wasn’t “Always Joyful”
Durant has never shied away from asking for a trade, and his previous actions suggest he has never given a damn about what the press has to say about him. One of the biggest surprises in NBA history, the four-time scoring champion joined with the Warriors in 2016 after suffering a setback to them in the playoffs a few weeks earlier.
Additionally, Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets in 2023, and his request was fulfilled when he signed a huge deal to join the Suns. But almost a year later, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Durant wasn’t “always happy with how he was used” with the Suns.
“In the meantime, Durant, one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, wasn’t always content with his use. According to Charania on April 29, “Those sources claimed Durant had ongoing problems with the offense, believing he was being forced into the corner far too much and not having the right ideas to play to his strengths because the game was constructed around pick-and-rolls.
It wouldn’t be shocking if Durant asked to join the Warriors after Charania revealed his annoyance and his track record of requesting trades.
