The Golden State Warriors were in search of a superstar to bolster their championship aspirations alongside Stephen Curry. The franchise initially explored the possibility of bringing back Kevin Durant, who had been instrumental in their back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. However, Durant, now a member of the Phoenix Suns, expressed no interest in a reunion with his former team.
Curry himself reached out to Durant in an effort to gauge his willingness to return, but after Durant’s polite refusal, the Warriors shifted their focus to pursuing Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat.
In an interview with ESPN, Curry emphasized his respect for Durant’s decision, stating that he wouldn’t try to persuade anyone to join the team if they weren’t fully committed.
“You need everybody to be all bought in no matter what the history you have,” Curry said of his conversation with Durant. “And I respect KD. It’s all about having peace of mind and happiness”.
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Chase Center. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
“Neither one of us controlled that [trade] situation. It’s just you want to make sure somebody wants to be somewhere,” he continued. “Other than that, I’m not trying to convince anybody to be somewhere they don’t want to be”.
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Speaking to The San Francisco Standard, Curry addressed ongoing rumors about the Warriors pursuing either Durant or LeBron James. While he acknowledged the unpredictable nature of the league, he hinted that such scenarios are more fantasy than reality.
“As you’ve seen recently, this league is crazy. So you never say never,” Curry said. “I think it’s funny now because we have our Team USA picture, where all three of us [are together]. It’s nice for a nice headline”.
“But again, I guess everything is possible and nothing is possible all at the same time in this league,” he added. “I loved my experience playing with them, for sure. But this isn’t fantasy basketball, either. You kind of have to be reasonable”.
Steve Kerr on Durant’s decision
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr weighed in on Durant’s choice not to consider a return, expressing his full understanding given the criticism Durant faced during his tenure with Golden State.
“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” Kerr told ESPN. “He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with Golden State as a free agent in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?”
