Kevin Durant wants to play with ex-Nets teammate?

Apr 23, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks up at the scoreboard in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The relationship between Kevin Durant and James Harden seemed to go downhill in a hurry when the two were teammates with the Brooklyn Nets, but apparently those differences are a thing of the past.

A report on Wednesday claimed Durant has two preferred landing spots if the Nets trade him, and one of them is Philadelphia. Harden, of course, plays for the 76ers and signed a contract extension with them this offseason. Many are skeptical that Durant would want to play with Harden again, but Frank Isola of SiriusXM NBA Radio says that is the case.

It’s hard to follow at times but yes Kevin Durant would like to play with James Harden, who was in London with Durant around the time Durant met with Nets ownership. (Maybe Harden, an expert at forcing trades, is serving as an advisor.) https://t.co/UnuXdndnSk

— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) August 10, 2022

Before the Nets traded Harden to Philadelphia, there were numerous stories about how Durant was frustrated with Harden’s lack of conditioning and effort. The general consensus was that Durant could have stepped in and stopped Brooklyn from dealing Harden, but he chose not to. Durant was even supposedly skeptical of an injury that forced Harden to sit out at one point.

Either those reports were exaggerated, or Durant has gotten over all of that. Perhaps he simply knows he would have a much better chance to win a title with the Sixers.