Kevin Durant says being mentioned in trade rumors is ‘part of the business’
After a rumor-filled week leading into the trade deadline last week, star forward Kevin Durant is embarking into the rest of the season still as a member of the Phoenix Suns.
Durant’s name floated as a primary trade target as well as being potentially shopped around, but despite that, the 15-time All-Star isn’t fazed by the situation.
“It’s just part of the business,” Durant told reporters at practice Monday via ESPN. “Everybody’s 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 and trying to go out and play the game that I love.
“It’s part of the business though — we’ve all got to understand that.”
It isn’t Durant’s first rodeo moving through the trade deadline, but this time around, things were a bit different. The Golden State Warriors potentially had interest in a reunion, but the 36-year-old reportedly didn’t want to go back to the franchise where he won his two NBA titles.
Meanwhile, Durant could have been on the move to the Miami Heat as part of a Jimmy Butler trade. However, Butler held no desire to play in Phoenix without Durant.
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All that brushed aside, the focus around the Suns will sit on pushing the team back into the thick of the playoff picture. Phoenix is on the outside looking in as the 11th seed, one game behind the Golden State Warriors for the 10th spot.
Durant will figure to play a significant part in the Suns’ run toward the playoffs.
