After weeks of speculation, Kevin Durant is heading to the Houston Rockets following a trade on Sunday. And the star forward found out about the blockbuster trade while onstage at Fanatics Fest.
Durant was part of a star-studded lineup at the festival, which took place in New York City this weekend. His onstage appearance turned into a breaking news incident, as news of the trade dropped while Durant was speaking as part of a “Global Game Changers” panel at the event.
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Fan videos show audience members shouting to Durant that he had been traded to Houston. Durant and moderator Taylor Rooks looked confused for a moment, with Durant asking the crowd to repeat what they’d said, before finally catching on to what had happened.
Rooks then asked Durant how he felt about heading to Houston — a sentiment that led to a mixture of boos and commotion from the crowd.
“We’re gonna see man, we’re gonna see,” Durant replied, with a smile.
Rooks did her best to move on with the interview, asking Durant about his go-to gameday song. Durant’s answer? “Raining in Houston,” by Drake.
After the panel, Durant told Kay Adams that he’s “looking forward” to being Rocket. “Crazy, crazy last couple weeks, but I’m glad it’s over with,” Durant said.
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Durant admitted that the trade wasn’t a total surprise.
“I had an idea, but I didn’t know exactly when it was gonna happen,” Durant said of the news about the trade. “I’m glad we kind of did this onstage, it worked out.”
The forward added that he had a role in the trade, and had given Houston as one of his preferred destinations. When asked why, Durant said that the Rockets were coming off a “great season” and that he felt he’d be “a good addition.”
Throughout the conversation, Durant said that he was very happy with the trade.
“You know when people can just hang your career in the balance like and just choose what they wanna do with your career is a nerve-wracking feeling, but being able to kind of dictate what you wanna do, and being with a team that values you, I’m looking forward to it,” Durant said.
After a Phoenix Suns superteam didn’t quite work out like they’d hoped, Durant will be moving on to his fifth team in his storied career (six, if you include the Seattle SuperSonics). The 36-year-old forward will now head to Houston, adding a veteran All-Star presence to a team anchored by up-and-coming players like Amen Thompson and Alperen Şengün.
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The trade is just the latest shift in the Western Conference, which has seen several massive blockbuster deals over the past year, including the Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade, De’Aaron Fox going to the San Antonio Spurs and Jimmy Butler joining the Golden State Warriors.
