Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry recently came to the conclusion that a reunion with former teammate Kevin Durant is not in the cards after a conversation with the Phoenix Suns star. Reports from Anthony Slater of The Athletic indicate that during this discussion, Curry became convinced that Durant's return to Golden State was 'extremely unlikely.' A source within the Warriors organization noted that the front office had 'underestimated' the degree of disinterest Durant had regarding the notion of rejoining the team.

Kevin Durant, who is currently 36 years old, enjoyed a highly successful three-year tenure with the Warriors from 2016 to 2019. During that period, he was named an All-Star three times, won two NBA championships, and received the NBA Finals MVP award twice, notably defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals. While the Warriors had been exploring the possibility of bringing Durant back into their lineup, reports from ESPN's Shams Charania and Ohm Youngmisuk confirmed that Durant had no intention of pursuing a reunion.

With discussions surrounding a potential trade for Durant yielding little traction, the Warriors shifted their focus on Wednesday, executing a four-team trade that acquired veteran wing Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat. In the deal, Golden State sent Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and a protected 2025 first-round pick to Miami, while also trading Dennis Schroder to the Utah Jazz and Lindy Waters III to the Detroit Pistons. Subsequently, the Warriors signed Butler to a two-year, $111 million contract extension, solidifying a core lineup that includes veterans Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green, alongside emerging talents such as Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. As of Thursday, both the Warriors and Suns hold a 25-25 record this season, placing them on the playoff bubble. Currently, the Suns occupy the No. 10 seed for the postseason play-in tournament, while the Warriors stand just outside the playoff picture in 11th place, based on tiebreakers. Although there remains a possibility that Durant could be traded before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, his reported rejection of a return to Golden State suggests a desire to remain with the Suns alongside teammates Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.