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Kevin Durant confronted questions for the primary time on Tuesday since a report that he’s been recruiting James Harden to hitch the Brooklyn Nets.
He denied the report and chastised media for reporting the information to start with.
Durant, getting ready to make his Nets debut after sitting final season with an Achilles harm, addressed the subject in a video convention with reporters on Tuesday.
“I don’t know the place you’re making these tales up that me and James talked about any of this at a exercise,” Durant mentioned, per The Houston Chronicle’s Matt Younger. “I do not know the place that got here from. James is a good friend of mine, however I let the entrance workplace deal with all of that stuff.”
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Ramona Shelburne and Zach Lowe reported in November that Harden advised Houston Rockets administration that he needs to be traded to the Nets and that the concept spawned from summer season exercises in Los Angeles between Harden and Durant.
Durant didn’t title Wojnarowski or every other reporter by title throughout his media session. However he made clear that he was accusing the veteran NBA reporters of constructing up information.
“I heard all of the noise, and I heard that James probably needed to return to the Nets,” Durant continued. “Anyone could make up tales. Anyone can write a narrative and it get some traction.”
Harden has two years remaining on a four-year, $171 million contract that carries a participant choice for the 2022-23 season. He reportedly turned down an extension price $103 million over two seasons. Harden might wish to be part of his former Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder teammate in Brooklyn, however it’s as much as Houston if he stays or goes.
In the meantime, Durant apparently doesn’t need his title hooked up to the drama in Houston, particularly with the danger of being accused of tampering. Per the NBA’s tampering guidelines, gamers are explicitly prohibited from recruiting gamers underneath contract with different groups and threat suspension and fines at commissioner Adam Silver’s discretion.
Durant has repeatedly attacked media once they report information about him and advised reporters on Tuesday he “loved having some me time away from all of y’all” whereas rehabbing final season.
In 2019, he did name a reporter out by title, accusing The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss of constructing up information about his impending free company from the Golden State Warriors.
Now that he’s again within the media highlight, he’s leaning once more on a pretend information narrative a few report together with his title.
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