Warriors stars open to reunion with Kevin Durant

If a trade is possible, would the leaders of the locker room welcome Durant? According to multiple sources, they would, for the same reason they embraced him in 2016. “I mean,” one source said, “it’s freaking Kevin Durant.” The Warriors superstars have been in conversations with Durant. In addition to catching up, the Hall of Fame-bound peers did entertain the idea of a reunion.
Source: Marcus Thompson II @ The Athletic

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Chris Palmer @ChrisPalmerNBA
Forget Kyrie. Kevin Durant for Anthony Davis is the trade that makes the most sense for the Lakers. Unload Davis before he’s untradeable. KD turns a losing team into a champion and totally redeems himself. – 12:52 AM Chris Palmer @ChrisPalmerNBA
Kevin Durant to the Warriors doesn’t make sense for either side. Not for the Warriors future. Not for KD’s legacy. – 12:12 AM Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Got tired of everyone talking down to one another about hypothetically trading for Kevin Durant so I tried to stay off Twitter. Past few days are my least favorite thing about this job. And we should be happy about Zion!
Related, Game Night is an underrated movie. – 11:47 PM Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
This just in: in case Kevin Durant and the Warriors have any interest in each other, the players reconvened and voted him a full playoff share… – 10:23 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
A thought I just had. Let’s say:
– The Raptors get Kevin Durant.
– The Lakers get Kyrie Irving.
– The Raptors win the East and the Lakers win the West.
Kyrie wouldn’t be able to play road games in the Finals because of Canada’s vaccine mandate. – 10:07 PM Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
#Nets are patient to find premium return in exchange for Kevin Durant nypost.com/2022/07/03/net… via @nypostsports – 9:25 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
About to sit down and binge some Stranger Things.
You can thank me when a KD or Kyrie trade goes down in the next 15 minutes or so. – 9:21 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Reunited and it feels so good? Count Warriors among teams interested in Durant nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/03/reu… – 8:04 PM Jeff Wade @SkinWade
At this point in my life I have but one dream, and that’s for KD to wear a Jazz jersey for the next three years – 8:02 PM Tim Reynolds @ByTimReynolds
I just looked up and this was on TV. Durant to Spurs obvs confirmed. pic.twitter.com/Fqb76b8afs – 6:57 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis
Ben Simmons deactivates Instagram account amid Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving trade rumors #Nets nypost.com/2022/07/03/ben… via @nypostsports – 6:57 PM Aaron Rose @AaronBenRose
Where are y’all at on this: Will the Raptors trade for Kevin Durant? – 6:49 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Why did Durant ask for a trade? Report suggests rough season, Nets’ poor relationship with Irving nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/03/why… – 6:00 PM Michael Singer @msinger
I don’t *really* subscribe to conspiracy theories, but the #Nuggets have now landed one of KD’s mentees (Watson), one of his best friends (DeAndre), another former teammate (Brown) & already had one of his friends (Jeff Green) on the team. And that’s before you get to the 2x MVP. – 5:07 PM Michael Singer @msinger
#Nuggets rookie Peyton Watson said Kevin Durant has taken him under his wing. The two talk almost daily. Of all the things KD told Watson, here’s what stuck with him most:
denverpost.com/2022/07/03/nug… – 4:59 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
Talking to some folks around the NBA, it sounds like some of the better free agents on the board are waiting to see what happens with KD and Kyrie trades.
One agent told me: “Some teams might need to fill a lot of rotation minutes after a trade. We can be patient for now.” – 4:01 PM Mike McGraw @McGrawDHSports
This is a good “choose your narrative” scenario: #Bulls aren’t sure if Lonzo will be fully healthy OR Bulls think they have chance at KD, but will insist on BKN taking back Lonzo’s salary. – 3:49 PM Duvalier Johnson @DuvalierJohnson
Asked Peyton Watson about his relationship with Kevin Durant:”Me and KD talk often, almost everyday.”
Said that KD has taken him under the wing and his biggest message has been to “focus on basketball.” pic.twitter.com/lZhWk7UInq – 3:32 PM

Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
Goran Dragic getting all giddy about playing with KD only to get swept in the first round and then watch KD join the Raptors would be quite spectacular. – 3:23 PM Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
It’s no surprise to me that Warriors have interest in Kevin Durant, according to sources. So does more more than half the league. It’s KEVIN DURANT. You better make the call if you’re an NBA GM. It’s KEVIN DURANT. – 3:14 PM Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
“He doesn’t too much care what people think”
@TermineRadio and @Eddie Johnson break down the huge news of Kevin Durant requesting a trade #NetsWorld pic.twitter.com/eVicgi6GhB – 2:52 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
What’s next for KD and Kyrie (and thus LeBron) … plus a long look at the Jazz, West vs. East and much more … all via the latest This Week In Basketball column freshly dispatched worldwide: marcstein.substack.com/p/kd-kyrie-and… – 2:48 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Do the Jazz now have enough to just trade for KD, Kyrie, and Simmons? pic.twitter.com/W8dOs22qOZ – 2:06 PM

Jeff Wade @SkinWade
Reading all these respected, very smart NBA writers bend over backwards to create complicated deals to send good but not great players to BKN to appease KD leads me to believe a move ain’t happening for awhile
Here’s my column on how Brooklyn can make devastatingly bad trades – 1:55 PM Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42
Why a Phoenix trade for Kevin Durant is complicated and how a third (or fourth) team would likely have to be involved.
youtu.be/wP5o7atV3Xw via @YouTube – 1:55 PM Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
Let’s be clear, I do not perceive Durant as remotely Robin. He’s the definition of a superstar. Period! – 1:31 PM Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed
There are 2 primary Kevin Durant trade packages we’ve seen reported. Which one do you like most? Both come with first round picks. #NetsWorld – 1:27 PM Vivek Jacob @vivekmjacob
Quite the irony that Christian Koloko is now waiting to see what happens with his favourite player Kevin Durant to sign his rookie contract and know if he can wear 35. pic.twitter.com/UiGTS2cUQV – 1:14 PM

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
KD trade… pic.twitter.com/khWFDweC2g – 12:39 PM Aaron Rose @AaronBenRose
Had Deandre Ayton signed the max extension last summer, he’d be ineligible to be traded to the Nets due to that weird rookie extension rule. By not signing that extension, the Suns may now end up with Kevin Durant. Weird – 10:34 AM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Sunday Insider: Rejected by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Knicks likely are better off newsday.com/sports/columni… via @Newsday – 10:32 AM Anthony Chiang @Anthony_Chiang
Heat in a holding pattern in free agency after receiving two Day 1 commitments, as Kevin Durant watch continues miamiherald.com/sports/nba/mia… – 9:08 AM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
GAME THEORY PODCAST: @FearTheBrown is here! We do a deep dive on the first 2.5 days of free agency.
-Gobert trade!
-Russ for Kyrie?
-Brogdon trade!
-Free agency, including POR, NYK, MIL, GSW, more
-More KD trades
APPLE: https://t.co/hIOdTGnsom
WATCH: https://t.co/wS0FZWAP7o pic.twitter.com/DSAkffSASY – 8:55 AM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Report: Raptors believe they can make best offer for Kevin Durant nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/03/rep… – 8:23 AM Josh Martin @LonzoWire
With KD demanding a trade from the Nets, the Bulls attempted to join the sweepstakes. lonzowire.usatoday.com/2022/07/01/rep… – 4:00 AM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Folks, it’s WILD KEVIN DURANT TRADE SPECULATION TIME with @FearTheBrown and I on the podcast:
https://t.co/EoI3MTeT0h pic.twitter.com/hYOh2X4bxI – 1:00 AM

More on this storyline

David Hardisty: Woj says Brooklyn has “no traction” on a deal for KD or Kyrie. They’re being patient because they “don’t have to trade either”, though that’s not their ideal scenario. Nets trying to get the “biggest haul of assets that they can” and “there’s a lot more talks coming.” -via Twitter @clutchfans / July 3, 2022 The Warriors could undoubtedly put together one of the best packages for a Durant trade. And for a front office known for unearthing every stone, they’d have to vet the chance to add Durant. With that said, according to multiple sources in the Warriors organization, a reunion is highly unlikely. Nothing about the last three years suggests the Warriors would be willing to pay the price for a KD return. That price is likely (and reportedly) an All-Star-caliber player, young talent and a heap of draft picks. -via The Athletic / July 3, 2022 This isn’t a case where the Warriors stars are pressing the front office to go acquire Durant. Sources made it clear they are fine defending their title with Wiggins, Poole and the young players they’ve been grooming to win with them. But if the universe somehow sets it up so legends reunite, they’d be open to it. -via The Athletic / July 3, 2022