Kevin Durant played the Golden State Warriors this week for the first time since his former team won a title without him.

“I can’t lie: Watching the Finals, I knew so many people would turn their focus on me once they won. I was like, I hate that they won, because y’all not going to make it about them; it’s going to be all about me,” Durant told Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I think it’s just a childish way of looking at that experience. I feel like you can take it all in and appreciate what they did and not even talk about me. I was just sitting at home. But I get how it is.”

There was reported speculation that Golden State's title contributed to his trade request from the Nets this past offseason.

“That’s my family over there,” he says. “I can be a Brooklyn Net and y’all can be the Golden State Warriors, and it’ll still be love. ... When they succeed, I succeed, because I’m a part of that history forever.”

From 2011 until 2019, Durant's teams finished no worse than the Conference Finals in all but one season he was able to finish. In his first two healthy seasons with the Nets, Durant has won one playoff series. But Durant doesn't regret his decision to leave the Warriors for Brooklyn. 

“It was another pivot,” Durant said of leaving Golden State. “I just wanted to play ball somewhere else. But a lot of people see it as I’m chasing something. And I think it probably stems when I said, ‘I don’t want to be number two no more.’ I was number two in high school, in the draft. But what I had to explain to people was, I had just lost in the Finals. I wanted to go back and win the Finals. It wasn’t about: ‘I want to be the best ever. I want to be better than LeBron or [Michael Jordan].’ I don’t give a s--- about that. I want to wake up every day and do what I do. If we win, I know that stuff comes with me being the best that I can be.”

The Atlanta Hawks have been shopping John Collins for a while now. It seems inevitable that Collins and the Hawks will eventually part ways, but the team is moving slowly in trade talks at the moment.

The Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards are all known to have an interest in acquiring Collins. The Jazz have been often linked to Collins since the offseason, while the Pacers have been mentioned as a strong candidate in recent weeks.

Collins was nearly traded to the Sacramento Kings this past offseason in a deal that would have sent Harrison Barnes to Atlanta. That trade fell apart, and it's unknown if Sacramento still interest in the Hawks power forward.

Steve Kerr is taking over the reins from Gregg Popovich as the head coach of USA Basketball. Kerr is hoping a familiar face will join his squad at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Kerr joked that he'd make a "recruiting pitch" to Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets to join Team USA for another run. Durant and Kerr were previously together on the Golden State Warriors. Durant has said it's too early for him to commit to playing in the next Olympics.

Durant has played for Team USA in three different Olympics. He's helped lead the United States to the gold medal in the 2012, 2016 and 2020 (played in 2021) games. Durant is also the all-time leading scorer in Team USA history.

If you don’t have a BetMGM account, now is the perfect time to make one, as you can use BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM to grab a risk-free first bet tonight. Your first bet on any sport will be fully matched in free bets if it loses, all the way up to $1,000.

Sign Up With BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM And Grab A Risk-Free First Bet Tonight

The risk-free first bet tonight from BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM is available only to new customers who are at least 21 years old and physically present in a state where BetMGM is licensed to operate. If you’re in Arizona, Colorado, Washington D.C., Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wyoming, click on the link below to create a BetMGM account.

You can also get $200 in free bets in Ohio, if you use the BetMGM Ohio bonus code.

That's exciting news for bettors in the Buckeye State, as Ohio sports betting apps will be launching in less than two weeks – on New Year's Day at 12:01 a.m. The BetMGM Ohio is one of a handful of Ohio sports betting promos delivering more than $1000 in free bets.

The link below will redirect you to BetMGM’s sign-up page. There, you can create an account by filling out nominal personal information including your name, address, email address, and date of birth. Make sure to also fill the bonus code field with “REALGM” while signing up. Doing so and making an initial deposit of at least $10 will automatically activate the offer from BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM.

Use BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM To Grab A Risk-Free First Bet Tonight On Any Sport

Your $1,000 risk-free first bet from BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM can be on any sport, and you will not face any restrictions on odds or bet type. When placing your risk-free first bet on any sport tonight, just make sure you bet at least $10 and do not combine this offer with another promotion.

If your first bet wins, congratulations. If it doesn't, it will be matched up to $1,000 in free bets within 24 hours of a losing settlement. If you bet less than $50, your initial losing bet will be matched with a single free bet equal to the amount wagered. The matching free bet total for an initial bet of at least $50 will be split into five equal parts, so a losing initial wager of $1,000 or more will be matched with five free bets worth $200 each.

Free bets from BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM cannot be cashed out or split up further, but they can be used to wager on any sport, regardless of odds or bet type. Any free bets that remain unused one week after being credited will expire. All winnings from wagers placed with free bets can be withdrawn any time after those wagers settle.

Grab A Risk-Free First Bet Tonight By Using BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM

There’s plenty of action to choose from after you use BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM to grab a risk-free first bet tonight. You can wager on one of tonight’s NHL or NBA games, place a bet on one of Sunday’s NFL contests, or choose another sport entirely from BetMGM’s robust selection. Moneyline, spread, total, prop, parlay and One Game Parlay bets are available for all of these major sporting events

One bet that stands out tonight is the Nets (-150) moneyline at home against the Raptors. Toronto’s just 1-6 in its last seven road games, and that win came against the last-place Pistons. Meanwhile, the Nets are 2-0 against the Raptors this season, and Brooklyn comes in riding a five-game home winning streak. If you sign up with BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM and bet $1,000 on the Nets moneyline, you will get a payout of $1,666.67 if Brooklyn wins ($1,000 principal + $666.67), or $1,000 in free bets added to your account within 24 hours if Toronto wins.

Nic Claxton has been a huge part of the Brooklyn Nets resurgence. Claxton is delivering solid play on offense, but he's really shining on the defensive end of the floor. That has Claxton thinking big about what might come later this season.

“Honestly, I feel that I am one of the best defenders in the league. I feel I should be in the top for the Defensive Player of the Year," Claxton said. "I feel like I wasn’t getting the respect I deserve. We’re winning, my numbers are good protecting the rim, guarding 1 through 5."

The Nets are on a five-game win streak and have moved up to fourth in the Eastern Conference. During that run, Brooklyn's defense has improved to 12th in the league, after starting the year ranked in the bottom third.

On the season, Claxton is averaging 2.3 blocks per game, which ranks second in the NBA. He's also averaging career-highs at 11.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while leading the NBA in field goal percentage at 74%.

James Harden's time with the Brooklyn Nets was short and injury filled. Harden owns his own health issues of being part of where things went wrong with Brooklyn, but said there was more to it than him being hurt.

"I don't mean to, like, just down talk to anybody or whatever. It was just, there was no structure and even superstars, they need structure. That's what allows us to be the best players and leaders for our respective organizations," Harden said.

The Philadelphia 76ers star said things didn't seem that way when he was trying to get traded to Brooklyn. Harden also knew people were going to say he quit on the Nets, but that the accusations don't really bother him.

"I just feel like," Harden continued, "internally, things weren't what I expected when I was trying to get traded there. I think everybody knows that. And I knew people were going to talk and say, ‘You quit' and all that stuff, but then the following summer, the other superstar there (Kevin Durant) wanted to leave. So, it's like: Am I still the quitter?"

The Brooklyn Nets were fined $25,000 by the NBA for "failing to comply with league policies governing injury reporting."

The game in question was a 136-133 win over the Pacers last Saturday in which the team rested eight players, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The game was a second of a back-to-back. 

Jacque Vaughn said at the time that the Nets could sit the players due to having previously documented their injuries, though he did apologize to Pacers fans for not being able to see Durant in person. 

The Atlanta Hawks have discussed a John Collins trade with a number of teams, including the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks.

Collins has been on the trade market for a considerable amount of time. Collins is in Year 2 of a five-year, $125 million contract.

Atlanta has so far not been interested in taking back Joe Harris as part of a deal with Brooklyn.

The Hawks would have interest in Kyle Kuzma, but there doesn't appear to be traction there with the Wizards. 

Ben Simmons said he expected to return to the Brooklyn Nets lineup on Friday against the Atlanta Hawks.

Simmons, who is out due to knee soreness and a calf strain, is set to miss his fourth consecutive game when the Nets take on the Hornets on Wednesday.

Simmons added that he's going to take a different, more cautious approach to his minutes when he returns.

"I think we're definitely going to look at it a lot different. I don't know if it's measuring minutes, maybe not back-to-backs, whatever it is. I think that's going to be a joint thing with the training staff and myself, and letting them know how I'm feeling," said Simmons. 

Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis have been named the NBA's Players of the Week for week 7.

Durant averaged 33.0 points and 7.0 rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets went 3-1.

Davis averaged 37.8 points, 13.0 rebounds and 3.25 blocks as the Los Angeles Lakers went 3-1.