Kevin Durant is reportedly drawing interest from his former team, the Golden State Warriors. Amid the growing speculation, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins criticized Durant on Tuesday's episode of "First Take," suggesting that Durant is seeking an easy path to a championship.
Durant faced criticism in the past for his inability to win a title on his own, which stemmed from his decision to leave the OKC Thunder for Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors in July 2016. He subsequently won two titles.
“I don’t want to see a Warriors-KD reunion," Perkins said. "What I want to see is KD win without Steph Curry. That’s what I want to see. I want to see him win and do it his way.”
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Perkins also accused Kevin Durant of double standards when he talked about loyalty. Durant had called out the Dallas Mavericks for trading Luka Doncic midseason to the LA Lakers.
"I would have never thought Luka Doncic would get traded at his age, midseason. … If he can get traded, anyone is up for grabs,” Durant said to reporters.
“Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don't get held to that same standard from the outside world, either from media members or fans.”
The Warriors are reportedly looking to pair Steph Curry with another superstar. The rumor was intensified after Warriors owner Joe Lacob was spotted talking to Durant's agent, Rich Kleiman, during the Suns-Warriors game on Friday.
Durant has a history with the Warriors, as he played for the team from 2016 to 2019 and won two NBA championships. If a trade were to happen, it would likely require the Warriors to give up significant assets, with Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and draft picks as possible options.
Kevin Durant put on trade market by Suns, NBA insider says
Kevin Durant is being considered for a trade by the Phoenix Suns, according to Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix. The Warriors are seriously interested in bringing back Durant to the Bay Area with rival executives believing that the Suns are considering deals for the 35-year-old.
The Suns' willingness to listen to offers for Durant comes as the team is struggling to find a workable trade for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. Despite mutual interest between Butler and the Suns, the deal has been complicated by Bradley Beal's massive contract and no-trade clause.
With the trade deadline closing on Thursday, the Suns must decide whether to pursue a deal for Butler or explore other options, which includes potentially trading Durant. KD, who is just 26 points away from becoming the seventh player in NBA history with 30,000 career points, has been the subject of trade rumors in recent days.
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