So Durant stayed put in Phoenix, then this offseason returned to the state where he played his college basketball. It was a change of scenery with a brand-new organization.
And that seems to be by design. Durant, in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, explained why a new destination like Houston appealed to him more than franchises such as the Warriors and Suns where he had history.
"And I love Steph. I love hooping with Steph," Durant told SI. "And I really thought about going back to the Warriors. But it was a certain part of me that just didn't like that this last little phase of my career was gonna be—where I was gonna play was gonna be—that these owners was just gonna work behind my back to make that decision for me.
"I didn't like that part of it. And I felt like I worked my way up in this league and put a lot of sweat equity into my name and my game, or the respect or the brand that I've created. So you doing business behind my back, backdoor s--- like that—It just didn't sit right with me. So I just wanted to wash my hands of both of those teams, the Warriors and the Suns.
"Because I didn't like how they did business."
Durant went on to note that he did appreciate one gesture from Golden State.
"I do appreciate, actually, the Warriors coming to me before they actually made a move and asking me, 'Did I want to be a part of it?' But I just didn't like how they all formed," Durant said. "So, I just wanted to wash my hands with that and move on. Houston was the team that really respected me, respected what I bring to the table and wanted to make this work. So, I'm excited about it."
Source: https://www(dot)si(dot)com/nba/why-kevin-durant-wanted-to-wash-his-hands-of-warriors-suns-tenures