The four-time All-Star point guard was dealt to the Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and the Nets’ first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft Tuesday evening. Durant, the reigning Finals MVP, told The Ringer’s Bill Simmons that Irving requested to be traded last month because he simply wants to hoop sans the distraction that comes along with being Robin to James’ Batman.
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It’s really quite simple, the way Durant broke it down:
Coming off the second defeat in three straight trips to the Finals against the Warriors, Irving, 25, still had two years left on his deal with Cleveland. James, preparing for his 15th campaign as a pro, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2017-18 season. With a championship already under his belt as he enters his prime, the prospect of enduring a season set against the backdrop of James’ looming free agency just didn’t seem as appealing as striking out on his own and leading the franchise that posted the Eastern Conference’s best record in the regular season a year ago.
Here’s an excerpt from a condensed transcript of Durant’s talk with Simmons:
Check out the entire podcast episode featuring Durant here.
