A new era of Kevin Durant's illustrious NBA career began in June, when he was dealt to the Houston Rockets in a blockbuster trade. Durant landing in Houston was no accident—the young and hungry Rockets team coming off of a 50-win season was one of Durant's three preferred landing spots.

But things nearly played out differently. Durant, starring for a struggling Suns team, was the subject of rumors at the NBA's trade deadline this past February—and he was nearly yet another big fish dealt in a sea of superstars, most notably Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis and Jimmy Butler. At one point, Durant returning to Golden State, where he captured a pair of NBA championships and Finals MVP awards, seemed a real possibility. But Durant did not want a second stint in the Bay Area.

So Durant stayed put in Phoenix, then this offseason returned to the state where he played his college basketball. It was a change of scenery with a brand-new organization.

And that seems to be by design. Durant, in an exclusive interview with Sports Illustrated, explained why a new destination like Houston appealed to him more than franchises such as the Warriors and Suns where he had history.

"And I love Steph. I love hooping with Steph," Durant told SI. "And I really thought about going back to the Warriors. But it was a certain part of me that just didn't like that this last little phase of my career was gonna be—where I was gonna play was gonna be—that these owners was just gonna work behind my back to make that decision for me.

"I didn't like that part of it. And I felt like I worked my way up in this league and put a lot of sweat equity into my name and my game, or the respect or the brand that I've created. So you doing business behind my back, backdoor s--- like that—It just didn't sit right with me. So I just wanted to wash my hands of both of those teams, the Warriors and the Suns.

"Because I didn't like how they did business."

Durant went on to note that he did appreciate one gesture from Golden State.

"I do appreciate, actually, the Warriors coming to me before they actually made a move and asking me, 'Did I want to be a part of it?' But I just didn't like how they all formed," Durant said. "So, I just wanted to wash my hands with that and move on. Houston was the team that really respected me, respected what I bring to the table and wanted to make this work. So, I'm excited about it."

Clearly, Durant wanted the decision for how he's likely to end his career to rest in his hands, no one else's. A future Hall of Famer, Durant is showing no signs of slowing down at age 37. The Texas product has averaged at least 25 points, 50% field goal shooting, and 40% shooting from beyond the three-point line in each of the past three seasons, the longest such streak in NBA history.

Durant on Oct. 19 signed a two-year, $90 million contract extension with a player option for 2027-28. His tenure with the Rockets began with a 125-124 loss to another former employer, the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game in which Durant scored 23 points in 47 minutes, fouling out with 2.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime period on Tuesday night.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Kevin Durant Wanted to ‘Wash My Hands’ of Warriors, Suns Tenures.