The 2025 NBA trade deadline was big—huge. The Mavericks and Lakers exchanged Doncic for Davis. De’Aaron Fox is now a Spur, and there was nearly another blockbuster that would’ve reunited Kevin Durant with the Warriors. Durant was reluctant to go, so the deal fell through. NBA insider Chris “Mad Dog” Russo firmly opposed that move and believes Durant made the right decision.
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Durant hasn’t been able to find team success since leaving the Warriors in 2019. Despite forming a superteam with Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the Nets, their partnership failed. The next chapter of his career led Durant to Phoenix alongside Devin Booker. Unfortunately, the team has only won a single playoff series and is currently fighting for a play-in spot.
The 15-time All-Star isn’t in the most desirable situation. Mad Dog appeared on ESPN’s First Take to adamantly shut down any notion that Durant should return to the Warriors, saying the move would do irreparable damage to KD’s legacy.
“If you’re Durant, you can’t go back to the Warriors. If he goes back to the Warriors, they won a championship before and after him. It’s almost like he needs the Warriors to bail him out again. It’s a terrible look for a sports fan.”
Many narratives have stuck to Durant since he decided to join the Warriors back in 2016, but in this instance, Mad Dog believes a reunion would come across as an act of desperation. Golden State has shown they can win without him; going back to GS would make it look like Durant needs Stephen Curry and the Warriors to win.
Despite the Suns and Warriors agreeing to trade terms, Durant wasn’t on the same page. The four-time scoring champion displayed transparency regarding the situation during the 2025 All-Star Weekend.
Durant reveals the reason he rejected a trade to the Warriors
Plenty of rumors and think-pieces speculating why Durant declined a trade to Golden State have surfaced. He decided to put all those to bed and address the issue head-on during a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews during All-Star Weekend.
That’s not the reason why I didn’t want to come back, I just didn’t want to get traded midway through the season,” Durant told Andrews. He continued,
“It was nothing against my time with the Warriors, or I heard it was because I don’t like Draymond [Green]. At the end of the day, I just didn’t want to move, and I wanted to see it through with my team in Phoenix and see what we could do for the rest of the season. So I’m glad I’m still there.”
The most common theory was Durant didn’t want to play with Green. Although the two have their own differences, Durant claims that’s not the case. He simply just didn’t want to be moved midseason.
Golden State pivoted and acquired Jimmy Butler, which eliminates any offseason reunion with Durant and the Warriors. But it doesn’t eliminate the Suns finding another suitor for the NBA legend.
