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The general consensus is that after this season, Kevin Durant is done with the Golden State Warriors. He is a free agent this summer, and I'm not sure there is anyone who doesn't think he is leaving. The Warriors have even seemed to come to terms that he is gone. One of the top rumored destinations for Durant is the New York Knicks, a languishing franchise that will finally have some cap room this offseason and may be able to sign Durant and lure another star to pair with him.
But would that be the wisest route for Durant to take? Would the future Hall-of-Famer be better off staying in the Bay rather than heading to the Big Apple?
Here are a few reasons why re-upping with the Warriors would be the better decision:
3. Stability
One thing we know about the Warriors is that they have a brilliant front office that is not only willing to spend, but is able to consistently identify talent and put the right pieces together to contend for championships year in and year out.
Durant is in his third year with the Dubs, and it looks like he probably will end up winning his third straight title. There are not many other front offices in the history of the league who can provide that type of stability, and Durant has to know this in the back of his mind.
The Knicks, on the other hand, are far from a stable organization.
New York has made the playoffs just four times since 2002 and has won one postseason series during that span. It spends money foolishly. It makes bad trades. It makes strange coaching hires. It trades away draft picks and fumbles picks that it actually keeps.
Basically, the Knicks have been one of the worst franchises in professional sports over the better part of the last two decades while the Warriors have recently become a model of excellence that everyone else in the league aims to follow.
Would it really be prudent of Durant to leave a place where he knows for a fact he will have a chance to win a ring every year for an organization that has not won a title since 1973?
2. Comfort
No, this is not the same thing as stability.
If there is one thing we have learned about Durant over the last several years other than the fact that he is an all-time great, it's that he is a sensitive guy who enjoys being comfortable in his environment.
That means not being the center of attention all of the time and having other, non-Russell Westbrook type players to fall back on when times might get tough.
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The whole reason why he left the Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State to begin with was because the Dubs already had Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green built in, so Durant could just come in, relax, and play his game without feeling the need to go off for 35-40 points in every playoff game and without having to worry about Westbrook shooting the team out of a game.
You can say what you want about the whole drama-filled situation between Green and Durant at the beginning of the season, but that has had absolutely not effect on how Durant has played, and Draymond and KD seem to be perfectly fine with one another right now.
The Knicks simply would not provide that type of comfort, and if anything, the spotlight would be on him more than ever before.
Durant thought Oklahoma City was bad? Wait until he gets a taste of New York, which is the most ruthless media market in sports.
Given how touchy Durant becomes whenever he is criticized, I'm not entirely sure that New York will be a very comfortable place for him.
1. Legacy
It's an interesting concept, isn't it?
When Durant first arrived in the Bay, many felt that his legacy was already irreparably damaged no matter what he accomplished. But now, nearly three years later, we don't really see KD that way, do we?
No. Now, we are seriously talking about whether or not Durant has surpassed LeBron James as the best player in the league, and we are also discussing the possibility of Durant three-peating and potentially winning three-straight Finals MVPs on top of that.
Think about this for a minute: Durant surely wants to ascend the all-time rankings, right? Well, if he stays with the Warriors, he can add a couple of more titles to his resume and actually pass James in rings.
Obviously, LeBron being better than Durant is an open-and-shut case at the moment, but what if Durant wins five or six titles? If that does happen, then Durant being ranked above James at least has to become a discussion.
I'm not saying Durant would definitely surpass James on the all-time list at that point; I'm just saying it would at least be worth a conversation, as LeBron has three championships and doesn't seem to be in line for any more given his current situation.
Essentially, Durant is guaranteed to contend for titles for at least the next two or three years following this season if he stays in Golden State. But if he leaves and goes to the Knicks? Who knows?
For a guy who seems to be very conscious of his legacy, Durant has to know that staying in Golden State would actually be better for it.
