Kevin Durant Talks Kyrie Irving Trade, Says There Is 'No Loyalty' in NBA

While Kyrie Irving's trade request and subsequent move to the Boston Celtics shocked many NBA fans, Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant wasn't surprised that Irving wanted to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers.

During an interview on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Durant explained his belief that Irving is "a pure basketball player" with a singular focus on the game.

"When you're around LeBron James, there's so much that comes with that," Durant said. "Outside distractions and conversations and just noise that just comes around just from being around LeBron James. And Kyrie was at the point, like, 'All right, we lost the championship, this whole season's gonna be about if LeBron's gonna leave or not. I'm ready for a new challenge.'"

Durant also saw the Celtics' decision to trade Isaiah Thomas to Cleveland as further evidence as to how there's "no loyalty" toward players from members of a front office tasked with making personnel decisions.

The eight-time All-Star said players can build strong relationships with teammates and members of an organization, but he added, "numbers on a paper...trumps everything." He was alluding to moves made for salary-cap reasons or because a team was looking to upgrade its roster.

The Celtics' decision to trade Thomas illustrated the harsh realities of the NBA. The 28-year-old was a beloved figure among fans, and former teammates Kelly Olynyk and Jared Sullinger refuted a report from Fox Sports' Chris Broussard on Undisputed Wednesday that Celtics players "really weren't that fond of Isaiah":

That didn't stop Boston from sending Thomas to Cleveland to acquire a point guard who's three years younger and under contract for two more years, whereas Thomas is entering the final year of his deal.

ESPN's Jeff Goodman also reported the Celtics had "significant concern" about the hip injury that ended Thomas' 2016-17 season, and general manager Danny Ainge told reporters it was at least a minor consideration behind the trade.

Ainge showed he won't let emotion override his decision-making when he traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in what proved to be one of the most lopsided NBA trades in recent memory.

While he may have wanted to keep Thomas in Boston and re-sign him next summer, Irving could put the Celtics in a stronger position both now and for the future.