When Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 offseason, the question wasn’t whether or not the team would win a championship; it was how many and how dominant they would be.

The answer was two, and they were very dominant in the playoffs before injuries caught up to them.

Durant departed Golden State after three seasons, heading to Brooklyn, Phoenix, and now Houston.

Before he landed in Houston during the 2025 offseason, the Warriors nearly reacquired Durant at the 2025 trade deadline. However, Durant nixed the deal as he wasn’t interested in a reunion with the only team he’s been able to win a title with.

That doesn’t mean he won’t end up back in the Bay at some point.

Bleacher Report published a new article looking at the top potential trade targets this upcoming season, with Durant falling third on the list.

Durant was consistent in Houston last season, averaging 26 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 52% from the field and 41% from three, but an injury kept him sidelined for all but one game in the playoffs as the Rockets lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Lakers.

There was also off-court drama with KD, with his alleged burner accounts coming to light, showing him criticizing teammates.

Expectations are once again high in Houston as the team has kept the core together, but added Marcus Smart as another on-ball defender, a secondary playmaker, a connector on both ends of the court, and a leader.

The Warriors haven’t been shy about chasing stars in recent seasons, and after missing out on Durant at the 2025 deadline, they did end up with Jimmy Butler.

When Butler and Steph Curry have been on the court together, the Warriors have looked like a team that can make a run in the playoffs. But health has been an issue, and now both men enter the final years of their contracts.

For Durant to return to Golden State, the Rockets would have to be below the pack in the Western Conference, and Butler would have to prove he’s healthy enough to contribute coming off an ACL injury.

The Rockets aren’t going to trade one of the best offensive players in the league if they don’t get an immediate contributor in return because they are built to succeed right now, not years from now.

The Warriors will keep tabs on Durant, but a reunion with Steph and Draymond Green feels unlikely.