Kevin Durant

Steph reveals how close KD's Warriors return was last season

Share
NBC Universal, Inc.

When NBA superstar Kevin Durant initially requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets last summer, the Warriors -- like nearly every other team around the league -- had to make the call.

Steph Curry said he was open to a reunion with Durant and recently revealed more details about the situation and how it played out from his point of view.

"I think there was an excitement or curiosity of, 'Is this really a legit possibility?' " Curry explained on The Ringer's "Real Ones" podcast with Logan Murdock and Raja Bell. "And to be honest, I had talked to him maybe once or twice about it specifically, but he wasn't in the decision-making process so he wasn't in a position to where he could be like, 'I want to do X, Y, Z.' It was just more of a natural conversation.

"And it just spoke to what I just mentioned. Yeah, we know our games gel, we know how to play basketball, so if it ended up being that, of course I'd love to play with him. But it never really got past that. So, again, he wasn't really in the situation where, he could demand the trade, but he couldn't really control the outcome of it. So I didn't really spend too much time after the initial shock of like, 'Oh he wants out of Brooklyn?'"

While negotiations might have never actually been held, Golden State was one of the teams showing interest in Durant, and Curry openly was an advocate of the potential reunion.

In an interview with Rolling Stone last year, Curry didn't hold back when asked about his thoughts on teaming up with Durant again in the Bay.

"Hell, yeah!" Curry said, firmly.

Curry further explained that he and the Warriors had discussions about potentially tearing apart the roster, despite the team winning the 2022 NBA Finals. But if they wanted to defend their latest title, Curry knew Durant could only help with those efforts despite all the young talent the Warriors would risk losing.

And when the Warriors' front office came to talk to the 3-point king, Curry made it clear that he was "never hesitant" about any trade regarding Durant, despite how their relationship ended when Durant left Golden State for Brooklyn after four seasons in the Bay.

"And if you said, 'Oh KD's coming back, and we're gonna play with him,' I had so much fun playing with him those three years, I'd be like, 'Hell yeah!' " Curry told Rolling Stone.

Durant did end up on the West Coast, but instead with Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns. And the Durant-Warriors reunion will just be wishful thinking -- for now.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Contact Us