During an extensive interview on ESPN's First Take, Kevin Durant gave a detailed explanation of why he decided to leave the Golden State Warriors.

"I just felt like I needed a switch," said Durant. "I felt like a lot of stuff in Golden State had reared its head. It was just going to be the end no matter what, especially for that group. Shaun Livingston was retiring. Andre Iguodala was getting older. Our contracts were going to stifle the team and put us in a hole to get other players. It was just time to kind of separate."

Durant also spoke about how his confrontation with Draymond Green made his pending free agency a larger story than he thought it needed to be throughout the season.

Durant refuted the notion that he joined the Brooklyn Nets to try to win in a situation that is more difficult than the one he joined with the Warriors in 2016.

Kevin Durant admitted the way Draymond Green confronted him early in the 18-19 season during and after a game at the Los Angeles Clippers impacted his free agency decision.

Stephen A. Smith asked him about that situation during an appearance on ESPN's First Take

"I wish that wouldn't have happened," replied Durant. "I feel like that was a situation that could have definitely been avoided. It really came out of nowhere. For us, everybody was just looking for something to tear us down with and I think they used that. It just brought in the firestorm with free agency. Every day was about my free agency. Everyday was about my disposition as a player. What I looked like on the bench. What I looked like during the game. It opened up a lot of nonsense I think could have been avoided.

"Me and Draymond talked about it."

Smith then asked Durant about Green admitting he refused to apologize until he saw his former teammate hurt.

"Draymond knew he was out of line. As men, we talked about it. Everybody around tried to get us to mend it fast because the season (was going on). He had his process on how he wanted to handle things and I respected that and I have my process and we eventually handled it."

Smith then asked for a definitive answer from Durant on whether that confrontation influenced his decision to sign with the Brooklyn Nets.

"A little bit, yeah, for sure," said Durant. "Your teammate talk to you that way, you think about it a bit."

The Cleveland Cavaliers have exercised their third-year team option on guard Collin Sexton.

Sexton (6-1, 192), the No. 8 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers, played in all 82 games (72 starts) in 2018-19, averaging 16.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 31.8 minutes per contest. He went on to earn All-Rookie Second Team honors last season.

In his three appearances this season, Sexton is averaging 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 30.2 minutes per contest. He is also shooting .438 from the three-point line.

The Toronto Raptors are expected to be one of the "chief pursuers" of Giannis Antetkounmpo if he becomes a free agent in 2021, sources tell John Hollinger of The Athletic. 

The Raptors have kept their cap minimal for 2021 beyond their extension for Pascal Siakam, who would presumably be a player Antetkounmpo would want to pair with if he had interest in joining the franchise.

While the Raptors are maintaining their future flexibility, it is not yet clear what they intend to this season with players such as Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.

Steven Adams and Clint Capela are two centers who could become available on the trade market this season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have told interested teams they view Adams as part of their future for the time being. Adams is signed through the 20-21 season.

Capela was shopped in trade talks by the Houston Rockets during the offseason, but decided to keep him when they traded for Russell Westbrook. Capela could be made available again if the Rockets explore the trade market. Capela is signed through 2023.

The Los Angeles Clippers have exercised their third-year options on the 20-21 contracts of Landry Shamet and Jerome Robinson.

The Clippers acquired Shamet from the Philadelphia 76ers last season as part of the Tobias Harris trade. Shamet was a selection on the NBA’s All-Rookie Second-Team last season.

Robinson appeared in 33 games for the Clippers during his rookie season with averages of 3.4 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves pursued a sign-and-trade for D'Angelo Russell this past offseason and the point guard position remains an area of interest for the front office.

Jeff Teague is on the final season of his three-year, $55 million deal with the Wolves.

"They would love to get a point guard," said Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod. "They want to be a playoff team. I think they would love to upgrade that point guard position. If there's available point guards out there, they'll be (an interested) team.

"They tried to get D'Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade situation. You watch some of the other point guards who might become available this year, they'll want to become involved there."

The NBA had concerns that the focus many fans have on following transactions rather than the games, but that has changed so far in 19-20 with most of the league's superstars settled in their existing situations.

Anthony Davis is the biggest free agent for 2020 and he's widely expected to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I knew this coming into the season and I can't remember the last season where we're just going to talk about all these storylines," said Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod. "Like you might talk about that Heat team for a week or two and then we're just back to free agency. You might talk about Minnesota's interesting start, but then we're back to free agency.

"We pretend to care about the season for about 10 days and then all anybody really cares about is what's coming. And we don't have that this year. We just don't have it.

"Nobody believes Anthony Davis is not staying with the Lakers."

The Atlanta Hawks continued to have confidence in Trae Young during his struggles at Summer League and the start of last season before he emerged as one of the NBA's most promising young guards.

"There were so many questions about him among teams in the lottery," said Adrian Wojnarowski on The Woj Pod. "I think he would have went to Orlando at (No. 6) if he did drop to them, but there weren't teams, like, moving up to try to get him.

"I remember in that draft there were teams trying to get up to get Jaren Jackson at four from Memphis."

The Hawks received criticism for giving up on Luka Doncic as they were all-in on Young, but that gamble is beginning to make more sense.

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a limited trade market for Chris Paul after they acquired him with the intention to flip him to another team.

The Miami Heat were connected to a trade for Paul, but the Milwaukee Bucks were a franchise he wanted to join as they remain contenders built around the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"I had heard he wanted to go to Milwaukee," said Ryen Russillo on The Woj Pod. "Of course you'd want to go play with Giannis."

Paul has two seasons remaining on his four-year, $160 million deal.