Kevin Durant makes his feelings clear after LeBron James finds new running mate in Luka Doncic: "Got to be the biggest trade I've seen"
Back in 2017, Kevin Durant shook the foundations of the NBA when he moved from one team to another. On Sunday, he bore witness to another blockbuster episode of player movement unfolding in the league.
Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Anthony Davis will be heading to the Dallas Mavericks in a trade that will partner Luka Doncic with LeBron James on the LA Lakers roster. After the Phoenix Suns lost 127-108 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Durant — who'd apparently gotten wind of the trade already — let reporters know his assessment of the deal:
"This got to be the biggest trade I've seen since I've been in the league or since I've been watching the sport," Durant told reporters. "This is insane."
Aside from expressing his utter shock at what just transpired — a sentiment shared by legions of NBA fans across the globe — Durant offered a more in-depth opinion on the individuals who make these monumental deals happen:
"Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don't get held to that same standard from the outside," said the Phoenix Suns forward.
It's easy to see where Durant is coming from. Over seven years ago, when he left the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency to join the Golden State Warriors, Durant bore the brunt of heavy criticism from fans and analysts who claimed that his decision led to an unwanted "superteam."
KD, of course, went on to win two championships right after deciding to jump ship. Whether any of the teams involved in the Davis-Doncic deal wins a title in the immediate future, remains to be seen.
Kevin Durant could be playing alongside the next headliner of the 2025 trade season
While Durant is merely a spectator in the Davis-Doncic situation, he might very well be a teammate of the next player who makes headlines over the next few days.
Durant's Phoenix Suns, of course, have long been linked to disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. Last week, NBA insider Brian Windhorst reported that the Heat front office are making moves to make a Butler trade finally materialize:
"They are willing to do more than they were when this all started last month," Windhorst said. "The Heat are trying to get this done."
With the Heat reportedly lowering their asking price, the Suns might have taken a step closer to forming a fearsome Durant-Butler combination.