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KD casually dismisses NBA trade deadline drama as 'just business' in recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area

There are very few NBA superstars who understand the league’s business landscape better than Kevin Durant.

The 17-year veteran has built one of the largest individual brands throughout the course of his career while playing for four different organizations, and nearly was on the move yet again leading up to the league’s Feb. 6 trade deadline.

The Warriors reportedly had a trade in place with the Phoenix Suns for Durant before the superstar forward verbally squashed the deal, while other teams like the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves also reportedly had interest in acquiring the 36-year-old.

Durant spoke to the media for the first time since the trade deadline and was asked about hearing his name tossed around in rumors.

Kevin Durant speaks on the following:

On Suns talking with Warriors about him before trade deadline: "Just business, man. It's part of the business. Everybody is bought and sold in this league. Anybody can be up for action. I understand that."

When asked about reports of Suns… pic.twitter.com/vEtKuAMhVc

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 10, 2025

“It’s just business, man. It’s just part of the business,” Durant said. “Everybody is bought and sold in this league, anybody can be up for auction. So I understand that. It’s just about getting back on the court, trying to go out there and play the game that I love. It’s part of the business, though, we’ve all got to understand that.”

One of the Warriors’ proposed trades for Durant would have sent the 15-time All-Star back to the Bay Area, with then-Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga, plus first- and second–round picks landing in Phoenix.

Durant was asked about the potential swap with Butler, who eventually was traded to the Warriors, and downplayed the rumored trade’s significance.

“I’ve been around noise before where a close spotlight is on your team, people have got so much to say about the group,” Durant shared. “Yeah, I’ve been through that before. And like I said, I understand the business and that’s what we all signed up for. Nobody’s above the system, as much status I’ve got, how much I’ve acquired in this league, you’re still not above the business and I always understood that.

Despite possibly feeling blind sided by the Suns shopping him before the deadline, Durant’s view of the organization has not changed, and intends to play out the remainder of his contract through the end of the 2025-26 season.

“No, I always had the goal of playing my contract out and seeing what happens,” Durant explained. “I can’t focus on a year and a half down the line, I try and focus on the day ahead of me. I know that will be a topic. That’s probably the most frustrating part about being in trade talks is that the microscope will be solely on me the rest of the season, my body language, how I speak to [the media] after the games, how I’m looking on the bench. That stuff will be magnified, which sucks, but like I said, that’s part of the business I’ve got to just deal with and accept.”

While there was no reunion between Durant and the Warriors this season, he will be an unrestricted free agent in 16 months from now if Golden State still has interest in pairing him alongside former teammate Steph Curry.

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