Kevin Durant’s relationship with the media has not always been ideal since joining the Warriors in 2016. There have been no steps taken to mend the relationship, nor does Durant desire to do so. On Friday, he was at it again, revealing what he perceives to be the underlying motivation of the media.
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Durant, who is quite active on social media, responded to a fan question on X (formerly Twitter) without holding back. A user asked him, “Why do people in the media lie on your name?” The Suns’ star responded,
“Just feeding the fans what they desire, bulls**t. If it’s getting paid, why stop?”
Just feeding the fans what they desire, bullshit. If it’s gettin paid, why stop?
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) January 10, 2025
The 14-time All-Star, in his usual candid style, did not mince words and voiced his opinions without hesitation. He claims that the reason they continually report lies about his name is to generate revenue.
There could be many reasons behind Durant’s strong reaction. It might also be related to his name being dragged into the Jimmy Butler trade rumors. Reports state that Durant is one of the prominent figures lobbying for a Butler trade, but the 36-year-old refutes those claims.
Kendrick Perkins reported Durant’s ties to Butler
The individual responsible for the report stating Durant’s involvement in Butler’s trade discussions is Kendrick Perkins. Although the two were former teammates with the Thunder, Perkins and Durant no longer appear to be friends.
The ESPN analyst believes that if the Suns acquire Butler, both players will sign “contract extensions.”
“From my sources… the Suns have a 2-year, $121 million extension waiting on Jimmy… Kevin Durant wants Jimmy Butler, and if he does get Jimmy Butler… they’ll both gonna sign contract extensions.”
– Big Perk
(via @RoadTrippinPod / @ClutchPoints )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 9, 2025
After this season, Durant has another year left on his contract before he becomes a free agent. However, he will be eligible for a contract extension at the same time as Butler. Perkins’ report suggests that Durant is forcing the hand of the Suns to make a trade in order to retain him. The problem is that the deal might require Phoenix to include Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause.
It is unclear at this point whether Durant’s response to the fan had anything to do with this report. One thing that’s for certain is that the two-time champion is solely focused on winning a championship with the Suns this season.
