from ShannaMcCarriston of cbssports.com:
Kevin Durant says any talk that he spoke to James Harden about joining the Brooklyn Nets is false. On Tuesday, K.D. denied reports of any involvement from his end, saying he has no clue how the rumors began.
K.D. says which players they get is not up to him, but the front office (via ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth):
“They’re making these stories up. … I don’t know where that came from. James is a friend of mine, but I let the front office handle all of that stuff. I was just so focused on working out. I heard all the noise and I heard that James potentially wanted to come to the Nets. But anybody can make up stories, anybody can write a story and it gets traction.”
Durant said his focus was not on where Harden was going, but on his own team.
He said, “So, nothing is ever set in stone until it’s set in stone. I never thought too much about it, I was focused on myself, and our teammates probably did the same thing, and, you know, just move forward.”
Harden’s offseason moves have been significant, as he rejected an extension from the Houston Rockets that would have earned him over $50 million a year. The contract would have made him the first person to earn over $50 million annually.
He also reportedly told the Rockets he wanted to head to Brooklyn.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden spoke with Durant and former Net Kyrie Irving ahead of the Rockets offer.
Harden and Durant spent time together from 2009-2012 while on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
