Kevin Durant isn’t interested in trying to run it back in The Bay.
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The Suns superstar, around whom trade chatter has increased ahead of Friday’s NBA trade deadline, has “no desire” to return to the Warriors, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on ‘NBA Today’.
Golden State has been desperately pursuing stars to pair with Steph Curry to try to keep its championship window open and has been interested in bringing back Durant, who won two championships with the franchise.
But the interest isn’t mutual.
Brian Windhorst added on ‘NBA Today’ that he expects Durant to either stay with Phoenix or end up with the Miami Heat, who have been looking to move disgruntled star Jimmy Butler.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported on Thursday that the Warriors might still try to trade for Durant even if they get the sense he won’t want to stay long-term.
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At one point recently, Warriors brass weighed the possibility of trying to add both Durant and LeBron James before the deadline, per Fischer — as unrealistic as it may have been.
Questions were raised about James’ future with the Lakers after they completed the shocking trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic, but the 40-year-old reportedly wants to remain in Los Angeles.
The Durant-Devin Booker-Bradley Beal trio hasn’t worked out in Phoenix, as the Suns were swept in the first round of last year’s playoffs by the Timberwolves and entered Wednesday in ninth place in the Western Conference at 25-24.
Durant, 36, has one more year left on his contract after this season with a $54.7 million cap hit.
He’s averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season while shooting 52.4 percent.
This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.
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