#Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant expressed his views regarding the trade that sent Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to the #Boston Celtics in exchange for isaiah thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected 2018 first-round draft pick. In an interview on the Bill Simmons Podcast, Durant said the Cavaliers-Celtics trade was additional evidence that there’s no loyalty in the NBA between players and members of a team’s front office. Durant explained that while players and members of the front office establish strong relationships, it will be thrown out the window once numbers on a paper enter the scene, referring to team moves for salary-cap reasons or for upgrading their rosters.
Durant not surprised with Irving’s trade demand
During the interview, Durant said he was not surprised with Irving’s trade demand as he called the All-Star point guard as “a pure basketball player” with a singular focus on the game. Durant said playing with LeBron James comes with outside distractions and noise, referring to James’ future with the Cavaliers after this season. “Kyrie was at the point, like, ‘All right, we lost the championship, this whole season’s gonna be about if LeBron's gonna leave or not. I'm ready for a new challenge,” Durant told reporters.
During his trip to India, Durant was asked about Irving’s trade demand, to which he replied “I don’t care” but he wished that the point guard will find happiness whether with the Cavaliers or with any other team.
Last season, it was Durant on the spotlight when he bolted the Oklahoma City Thunder and signed with Western Conference rival Warriors. The move put Durant in a bad light, but it paid dividends for him as he bagged his first NBA title after they beat the Cavaliers in five games.
Celtics’ teammates deny rumors about Thomas
Chris Broussard reported that some Celtics players “really weren't that fond of Isaiah,” but former Boston big men Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger denied the report via their respective Twitter accounts.
Olynyk, who signed a four-year, $50 million deal with the Miami Heat, called the report “preposterous” while Sullinger branded Broussard’s report as “lies, lies, lies.” Backup point guard Marcus Smart thanked both Thomas and Crowder and wished them well as they join their new team. Earlier, Broussard said during his discussions and text messages with several executives, it was revealed that some teammates “really weren't that fond of Isaiah." According to Broussard, team executives were already aware of Thomas’ attitude problem during his time with the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns.
