Kevin Durant was apparently not feeling his former teammate James Harden, and isn’t shy at all about letting the public know what he thought.
The Brooklyn Nets’ big weighed in on the blockbuster deal that sent Harden and a draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for that team’s former problem child Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, two first-round picks and a lifetime supply of cheesesteak hoagies. Durant didn’t bite his tongue.
Before serving as a captain in the NBA’s All-Star Game draft Thursday night, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant said he was “happy we got guys who want to be part of this” in the blockbuster trade that saw James Harden go to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons.
Durant then made it pretty clear that he didn’t want Harden on his All-Star team, either, passing on taking him with each of his seven reserve round selections of the draft — much to the amusement of the other captain, LeBron James, as well as the TNT panel refereeing the affair.
Tell us how you really feel.
The basketball world has generally responded positively to the trade though its debatable who won. The Nets are receiving a superstar talent in Simmons and a strong role player in Curry, who gave the Philly an efficient 34.8 minutes per game. Philly lands one of the league’s biggest stars who they hope they can now build their never-ending “process” around.
But both teams are also inheriting the others’ biggest headaches. Harden didn’t like Brooklyn and based on KD’s comments, his teammates weren’t thrilled about him being there, either. Simmons has refused to play for the Sixers all season in an effort to force a trade.