{"id":817248,"date":"2026-07-22T20:17:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T20:17:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/817248\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T20:17:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T20:17:12","slug":"former-teammate-calls-out-kevin-durant-for-working-out-with-magic-all-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/817248\/","title":{"rendered":"Former teammate calls out Kevin Durant for working out with Magic All-Star"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kendrick Perkins called out Kevin Durant’s decision to work out with Paolo Banchero instead of using the offseason to build chemistry with his Houston Rockets teammates.<\/p>\n

Kevin Durant<\/a>\u00a0has drawn criticism from one of his former teammates over his offseason preparations ahead of the 2026-27 NBA campaign.<\/p>\n


\n \"Paolo
\n <\/a><\/p>\n

\n Position
\n PF\n <\/p>\n

\n Age
\n 23\n <\/p>\n

\n Height
\n 208 cm\n <\/p>\n

\n Weight
\n 113 kg\n <\/p>\n

\n Birth place
\n Seattle, United States of America\n <\/p>\n

Former NBA center and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins reacted to footage of Durant working out alongside Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero<\/a>.<\/p>\n

While Perkins praised Durant for sharing his knowledge with the younger All-Star, he argued that the veteran should prioritize training with the players he will share the court with in Houston next season.<\/p>\n

“I’ve been seeing a video that’s been circulating of KD working out with Paolo Banchero, and I appreciate the mentorship,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today.<\/p>\n

“But that mentorship needs to be going toward the guys he’s actually going to be on the floor with this upcoming season.<\/p>\n

“I want to see videos of KD in the lab with Jabari Smith. I want to see videos of Sengun and Kevin Durant working out. That’s what I want to see.”<\/p>\n

Perkins wants Durant to build Rockets chemistry <\/p>\n

Durant is preparing for his second season with the Rockets after arriving in Houston as part of a blockbuster trade during the 2025 offseason.<\/p>\n

The 37-year-old averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists over 78 appearances in his first campaign with Houston, earning a place on the All-NBA Second Team.<\/p>\n

Despite Durant’s strong individual production, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season after finishing the regular season with 52 victories.<\/p>\n

That result increased the pressure on Houston’s core to take another step forward, with Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson expected to remain central to the team’s plans.<\/p>\n

Perkins seemingly believes that Durant could use the summer to strengthen his on-court relationship with those teammates rather than spending his training sessions exclusively with players from other organizations.<\/p>\n

Durant and Perkins previously spent parts of five seasons together with the Oklahoma City Thunder and helped the franchise reach the 2012 NBA Finals.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

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