Kevin Durant discusses trade rumors about himself and his desire to play ‘until the wheels come off’

LAS VEGAS – Kevin Durant’s mental state, happiness and wanderlust are always in the news, and even though athletes like him are trained to ignore the noise, it gets to them.

Because on a larger scale, he knows it comes down to the fans and how they view him. Durant is on the verge of his fourth Olympics and let people know that his fifth NBA franchise is not far behind.

“You can hit the ‘KD quit’ button whenever you want to get some attention,” Durant told Yahoo Sports in an exclusive interview Saturday afternoon after Team USA’s first practice.

“Yes, it’s a button. What else are people going to get this time? Also, ‘Oh, there goes the traveler again.’ That story is always going to be a hit.”

The conversation started on draft night, when rumors started swirling about Durant — who has barely spent a full season with the Phoenix Suns — and teams calling him. The Suns have three max-salary players, and with the new luxury tax apron that penalizes big spenders, some began to believe the Suns were looking to move on Durant for future draft capital. Can be ready for.

The Houston Rockets were mentioned as a team that would be a suitor. And Durant, who is often online, noticed the commotion.

“It’s hard to hear what they say about you,” Durant said. “Because especially when you can lie and everyone will believe you.”

Durant repeatedly called the claims “lies” and said he is in regular contact with the Suns’ front office, coaching staff and players.

“So if someone says, ‘Phoenix wants out of the KD (business),’ I’m sitting here like, where is that coming from?” Durant said. “It bothers me that people lie like this and audiences eat up the headlines. I feel sad when people lie and just make up lies.

“It’s bigger than the ball for me at that time. I can’t control that. I feel for people. When you believe anything, it is a bad habit. Believe what you see on TV. And then it’s another bad habit when you’re lying.”

Durant finished another stellar season by playing in 75 games – his most since 2018–19, when he ruptured his Achilles during Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He was a hair away from a 50-40-90 season, as he shot only 86 percent from the line, and averaged 27 points, nearly seven rebounds and five assists.

He is the all-time leading United States Olympic basketball scorer, surpassing Carmelo Anthony in 2021, and he holds the career domestic record of 19.8 points per game.

Durant will be reunited with Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry, and he thinks it will be an easy transition as this could be the most talented Olympic team since the 1992 Dream Team, or at least the 2008 Redemption team – of which The latter was played after Durant’s freshman year in Seattle.

But the conversation rarely focuses on their longevity, or sustainability. Part of it, he has courted. He left Oklahoma City as a free agent to join the Golden State Warriors in one of the most covered and dissected moves in sports history, then left the Bay Area to play in Brooklyn, a move that In which was difficult to say the least.

When that ended, as did the Nets’ relationships with Kyrie Irving and James Harden, he asked for a trade to Phoenix and found himself there on the first day of new owner Matt Ishbia’s management.

It was Ishbia who sent a powerful tweet on draft night in support of Durant, saying in part, “Phoenix loves Kevin Durant and Durant loves Phoenix, and we are competing for a championship. Because we have the team to do it.”

However, the noise probably won’t stop and Durant knows it. Therefore, he attracts the attention of fans who pack stadiums across the states to watch him play.

He said, “Don’t get blinded by what I’m doing on the basketball court, because as a fan it can make you nervous, ‘Hey, this (guy) is going at it again?'” he said. Said.

“Even if I leave, will I play good basketball? Like, what matters? Does it matter if I’ve got a jersey or if I’m playing basketball? I want better for the fans. I want them to enjoy the experience. But when you think about these kinds of stories and lies…”

The jersey he wore when he was on top of the world was blue and gold, where his basketball talent was fully realized in Golden State, winning two NBA Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018.

They haven’t even come close to that in Phoenix, losing to eventual champion Denver in the second round a year ago, and losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round a few months ago. With Mike Budenholzer stepping down as head coach, this will make it three coaches in three seasons in Phoenix, and the Suns will have a long journey through several worthy teams before becoming a real contender in the West.

Even his singular excellence has not proven enough.

They were asked how important winning still is to them, or whether being comfortable is more relevant.

“It goes into a lot of why I want to (continue) playing the game of basketball, or why I continue to play,” Durant said. “And obviously every game I play it’s important to win, play with good people, play the right way.”

“Of course, I want to win the championship. Absolutely,” Durant said. “I just want to play well every game, like I don’t even have to talk about that kind of stuff. But yeah, so it’s gratifying to get up to play every day and everything that happens on top of that is good.”

He laughed at the notion of celebrating his 36th birthday as a milestone – technically, he would be in his late 30s. Durant needs to at least start considering how his career will end.

“I’ve been a role player,” Durant said.

well kinda.

“I have always played a role. My entire career. That’s why I’m so good at basketball.”

He begins to explain the subtle roles he plays on different teams: wing defender, ball-handler, facilitator, and one he doesn’t have to mention: scorer.

“I can tap in and roll at any time,” Durant said. “It’s about how many minutes, how many shots I get. I just like playing games. If it’s a good situation, if I’m still enjoying the game of basketball, my goal is to play it (the game) until the wheels fall off, whatever the role, we’ll see.