Kevin Durant is back on the move again, three years after he bailed on the Golden State Warriors. As a frenzied bidding war materializes in wake of his shocking trade request from the Brooklyn Nets, though, dreams of the two-time Finals MVP returning to the Bay Area will surely remain just that.
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported on Thursday that Golden State stands apart as the only team in basketball that's not a realistic potential destination for Durant.
The only team that NBA sources with knowledge of the situation have indicated is not a tangible option for Durant is Golden State. And the Warriors likely don't have a package of win-now pieces that would strike Brooklyn's interest anyhow.
It was always naive to expect Durant would ever return to the Warriors. The relationship between he, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Golden State management isn't nearly as frayed as overzealous fans make it out to be, but Durant's ever-complicated legacy would only grow more perplexing if he turned back to the Warriors so soon after leaving them—and especially after they won another title without him.
Durant's place as an all-time great is already secure. Nothing that happens over the remainder of his career should negatively affect his standing in the league's historical individual hierarchy. Even the self-assured yet introspective Durant, though, would have to admit that returning to Golden State for a second time—right after his handpicked super-team flamed out in Brooklyn—would only spark more criticism about his circuitous, controversial NBA path.
Durant doesn't need the Warriors, and the reigning champs don't need him.
What's interesting is Fischer's tidbit that the Warriors lack the “win-now” pieces the Nets want in their return for Durant. Do general manager Sean Marks and the front office really believe Brooklyn has the chance to compete around Ben Simmons following the unceremonious departures of Durant and Kyrie Irving? That possibility also clashes with prior reporting about the Nets' plans to begin a roster firesale following Durant's trade demand.
The Warriors actually could put together an attractive offer for Durant as long as Brooklyn was comfortable rebuilding around talented young prospects and future draft picks. A package of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, James Wiseman and multiple first-round picks sent to the Nets once Curry, Green and Thompson are well past their primes should at least raise Marks' eyebrows.
But as the hyper-competitive trade market for one of the best players ever takes shape, expect Golden State to stay firmly outside of it regardless.
Follow Us
Subscribe