“We’ve been blessed” Monty Williams says he was blown away by the rumors linking Kevin Durant to the Suns
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Kevin Durant
The Kevin Durant trade saga dragged on for nearly 2 months and it was a roller coaster ride for NBA fans. He was linked to several teams after he requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on June 30. He gave Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat as his preferred destinations in 1st trade request, and also considered Memphis Grizzlies and Celtics as possible destinations in the later part of trade discussions. Phoenix suns head Coach Monty Williams said he was shocked by the rumors linking KD to his franchise. Williams and KD had worked togather back at OKC in
The rumors centered on Durant wanting to play with suns emerging star Devin Booker and also form a trio with Chris Paul. Now that KD has agreed to stay with the Nets for at least next season, putting all the trade rumors to rest, Williams had the opportunity to speak.
Monty opened up about his feelings over the KD trade. “People don’t understand how hard trades are to pull off. When I first heard about the Kevin Durant stuff, I was kind of blown away just because we’ve been so blessed to have guys who wanna come. At the same time, at the expense of what, is what I was thinking.” Williams was live on SiriusXM NBA Radio as he spoke about the KD trade.
Reflecting on his current Phoenix team, Williams added, “I like our team. I love our guys. But I wasn’t going to have conversations that did not need to be had. I think our guys are mature enough to understand that part of our business. So, I didn’t want to have conversations about stuff that didn’t need to be brought up, and part of it is because I’ve been in the business so long. It’s just hard to pull trades off.”
In reality, the Suns were favorites to win a title this season with the experience and depth in their roaster. But just like 2021, they blew away a 2-0 lead, this time against Luka Doncic and Dallas Mavericks.
A U-turn on the Kevin Durant trade decision would give Brooklyn Nets a strong chance in the 2023 season.
Brooklyn Nets looked to move back to a ‘struggling mid-table team” had they traded KD or Kyrie in the 2022 off-season. But they remained strong on their valuations, fending off interests from other challengers. Finally, Nets managed to hold on to both their superstars, who gave them the “title favorite” stamp in the 2022 season. In addition to it, they can welcome Ben Simmons after a season-long break from NBA Action.
The Nets have endured a tumultuous offseason, with trade rumors surrounding their key players. However, now the key stakeholders have decided to run it back. The return of 2-time NBA Champion Kevin Durant in particular would be a huge boost for the teammates.
The All-Star guard Kyrie also exercised his player option for next season. Irrespective of his off-court drama, ‘uncle Drew’ has been a sensational self while playing for the team. He rather averaged close to his championship season and could be back to prove his worth.
All of that could change with the availability of Ben Simmons and the return of Joe Harris. Simmons was unavailable after he joined the Nets at the trade deadline due to a back injury. And Harris sustained an ankle injury early in the season, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. With Harris, the Nets will have another elite 3-point shooter and make them more lethal offensively.
Many reports suggested that Simmons play as the center, alongside Durant, Irving, Harris, and Seth Curry. This could be a very explosive lineup to handle, though they lack size in the paint.
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Kunal Chawda
(600 Articles Published)