Before he embarks on his first year with the Houston Rockets, star forward Kevin Durant confirmed a rumor that had been swirling for months.
While speaking at the Game Plan Sports Business Summit on Sept. 16 in Los Angeles, Durant revealed that with the help of his business partner, Rich Kleiman, he blocked a potential trade that would’ve sent him from the Phoenix Suns to the Golden State Warriors at last season’s deadline in February.
“I heard Golden State was in the mix around the trade deadline, but that’s when Rich came into play, and those relationships that we built around the league and also playing in Golden State helped,” Durant said, per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “We were able to tell them kind of hold off on that.”
Durant also admitted that he was not happy to hear the rumors that the Suns wanted to trade him during the 2024-25 campaign. He remained with the team for the remainder of the year before being sent to the Rockets in a blockbuster trade over the summer.
“Initially, I was a little upset because I felt like we built a solid relationship, me and the Phoenix Suns,” Durant said. “And to hear that from a different party was kind of upsetting, but that’s just the name of the game. So I got over that quickly and was trying to figure out what the next steps were.”
Durant is still seeking his first NBA championship since earning back-to-back titles during his tenure in Golden State, so he will certainly be motivated to guide Houston to the mountaintop during the 2025-26 season.
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