Breaking down the Bucks’ potential opponents in the Eastern Conference finals

Kevin Durant discussed his decision-making ahead of the trade deadline when he decided not to return to the Golden State Warriors when they essentially had a trade in place to acquire him from the Phoenix Suns. Malika Andrews specifically asked Durant to respond to comments made by Steve Kerr about what he believed led to his decision.

“I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here,” Kerr told Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon.’ And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized.”

Durant disagreed with Kerr’s assessment.

“People talk crazy about me all the time,” said Durant. “That’s not the reason why I didn’t come back. I just didn’t want to get traded midway through the season. It was nothing against my time with the Warriors, or I heard it was because I don’t like Draymond. At the end of the day, I just didn’t want to move. And I wanted to see it through with my team in Phoenix. And see what we can do through the rest of the season, so I’m glad I’m still there.”

Durant was asked how the rest of the season with the Suns will shape his outlook for his future.

“You have to ask the front office about that. I never planned on leaving or getting traded. I didn’t ask for a trade from Phoenix. But, obviously, when you pay so much for a team and we’re not playing up to our expectation, someone has to go. Probably should check in with those guys in the front office throughout the rest of the season to see how they’re feeling. I know I’m going to try to keep bringing my best every single day. I’ll let the higher-ups focus on what’s next.”

The Denver Nuggets and Jamal Murray agreed to a four-year, $208 million max extension, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The extension guarantees Murray $244 million over the next five years.

Murray will make $36 million this season, then $46.4 million in 2025-26.

That number will increase to $50.1 million for 2026-27, then $57.5 million in the final year of his deal.