Amidst free agency, Kevin Durant trade rumors are swirling, with prominent figures in the media fanning the flames.
Stephen A. Smith advised viewers to disregard the Suns owner’s comments about wanting to retain the 14-time All-Star.
“[The Suns] want out of Kevin Durant right now,” Smith proclaimed on First Take.
Subsequently, Adrian Wojnarowski reported during the draft night that Phoenix was eyeing a trade deal with Houston, sparking rumors of KD moving to the Rockets.
Despite the gossip, Durant is fatigued by being a target of the rumor mill.
“You could just press the ‘KD wants to leave’ button whenever you crave attention,” Durant expressed to Yahoo Sports.
“Yes, it’s a button. What else will grab people’s attention during this time? Apart from, ‘Oh, the journeyman is leaving once more.’ That narrative always draws interest.”
Addressing the trade speculations directly, Durant labeled the claims as “lies.”
“So for someone to assert, ‘Phoenix wants to move on from KD,’ I’m left wondering where this is coming from,” Durant stated. “It bothers me that individuals fabricate such stories and that the audience embraces the headline. It saddens me when people buy into falsehoods and fabrications.
“It goes beyond basketball for me at that point. I have no control over it. I empathize with people. It’s a detrimental practice when you simply believe anything, for starters. Just trust what you see on TV. And it’s another negative habit when you engage in falsehoods.”
Suns GM James Jones was also questioned directly about Smith’s assertion that Phoenix is looking to part ways with Durant.
“It’s the question, it’s the topic of discussion, it’s the clickbait that everyone wants to discuss,” Jones remarked, as reported by AZ Central on June 27th. “But back on May 19th when I was asked if we are trading Kevin Durant, I said ‘no’ then, and I’ll say ‘no’ now.”
