Players on the Golden State Warriors would reportedly understand if Kevin Durant left the Warriors after this season, according to Ethan Strauss of The Atheltic.

Durant, who is expected to decline his 2019-20 player option with Golden State and become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, has been linked to joining the New York Knicks, who created two max salary slots by trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks.

Some around the league believe Durant and Kyrie Irving will take their talents to New York together. Irving can become a free agent this summer as well.

Sources say teammates would understand if KD left what looks like perfection. It’s just a harder sell to the public writ large. What’s the PR-friendly reason for leaving a favorite that appears primed to reign for ages? KD’s catch-22, or catch-35 if you will: He’ll likely be criticized for ring avoidance by the same people who ripped him for ring chasing. None of this would be a problem if Durant tuned out criticism, but few are better known for bathing their own wounds in salt.

How do you justify leaving the Warriors for the Knicks? That's the question Kevin Durant and his camp are probably thinking about. New York has been a walking disaster for years, while Golden State is on the verge of winning its third straight title this season and fourth in five years.

At the end of the day, Durant is entitled to do what he wants with his basketball career, but it's just hard to see why he would want to leave the Warriors for the Knicks.