Trade saga serves as latest hit to Kevin Durant's legacy

Kevin Durant's inability to make deep postseason runs and questions about his leadership have seemingly tarnished his reputation.

On Monday, ESPN's Marc Spears dropped a bombshell by noting that Durant had the New York Knicks atop his list of preferred destinations, but the franchise did not make a run to acquire him.

"KD wanted the New York Knicks. He wanted to go there. The Knicks have no interest in bringing him in, which probably makes Knicks nation quite interested in why not," Spears told "NBA Today" on Durant's diminishing trade value.  

It's not just the Knicks who aren't as high on the Suns forward. 

According to The Athletic, the Heat, Spurs, and Rockets — three other teams on his wish list — made underwhelming offers to the Suns in a potential deal for the 15-time All-Star. The report added that only the Timberwolves have been aggressive in their pursuit of Durant, but the veteran player is not keen on playing in the Twin Cities.

Durant may no longer be a top-five player, but he's still elite. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists this past season, while shooting a career-high 43 percent from three (minimum 36 games). Yet, it seems that teams around the league no longer believe he can be the missing piece that propels them to a championship. 

Perhaps Durant's limited playoff success in Brooklyn and Phoenix has soured teams. There's also the theory that the 36-year-old lacks leadership intangibles and fails to uplift his teammates. 

This past season, several Phoenix-based beat writers blamed Durant's nonchalant attitude for Devin Booker enduring his worst overall season since 2017-18. Radio personality Dan Bickley felt Durant's "chill vibe" affected Devin Booker's "temperament," turning the latter into a soft player. Durant faced similar accusations during his time in Brooklyn.

Durant's post-Warriors legacy continues to take a hit. It's a shame that one of the modern-day greats has become nearly undesirable.