Since joining the Warriors during the summer of 2016, Kevin Durant has signed short-term contracts, opting out and signing new deals twice since then. Those short-term commitments weren’t necessarily a sign of his unwillingness to commit to Golden State long-term, but rather a byproduct of the constraints of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Those short-term contracts allowed Durant to maximize his year-to-year earnings if he wanted to (instead, he opted for a team-friendly discount in year two) and will put him in position to ink a five-year contract with the Warriors in 2019, when the team will finally have secured his Bird rights.
However, while Durant’s return to Golden State was a given during the last two summers, that no longer appears to be the case for 2019. Despite winning back-to-back titles with the Warriors, earning Finals MVP honors both times, Durant isn’t viewed as a lock to remain in the Bay Area for many years to come.
Those rumblings about Durant’s possible departure grew a little louder last week, when multiple national NBA writers, including Chris Haynes, Chris Mannix, and Tim Bontemps, suggested that people around the NBA viewed the Knicks as a legit suitor for nine-time All-Star. Now, a local reporter has joined the conversation and added further credence to the idea that Durant could head elsewhere.
Following up on a radio appearance on KNBR, Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic wrote last night that he’s not reporting that Durant will leave Golden State at season’s end, but if he had to guess, he’d predict the 30-year-old will head elsewhere.
As Thompson explains, Durant’s comments about keeping his options open and taking things “season by season” strike a different tone than what he’s said about his situation in past years. Additionally, Thompson says he’s spoken to several people within the Warriors’ franchise about the subject, and gets the same sentiment from most of them: they hope he stays, but wouldn’t be surprised if he leaves.
It’s hard to imagine any team besides the Warriors entering the 2019 offseason as the favorites to sign Durant, especially if they win another title. After all, they’ll be able to offer him more years and more money than any other club. Still, many teams around the NBA will have the cap space necessary to sign a maximum-salary free agent, and several of those teams will be eager to pitch Durant on becoming the new face of their franchise.
What do you think? Is it crazy to think that Durant might leave Golden State next year after his run of success with the team? Do you expect him to stick around the Bay Area beyond 2019, or will rival teams have a real chance to lure him away?
Head to the comment section below to weigh in!
I think KD could take the same approach we saw LeBron take this year. He won 2 rings with GSW, now go and focus on growing your brand and taking a bottom dweller back to glory with the Clips, Nets, or Knicks.
75-25 he stays. The only X Factor is we saw he’s not afraid to make a move and shocked everybody and take heat for it. He did that once, maybe again?
But I believe he likes the Bay Area for business and marketing opportunities and everything out there available to him.
Plus he loves playing with the guys on the Warriors. So there is a chance but maybe just 25% that he leaves.
Could be that he feels he has enough money and he just wants to shock everybody and go somewhere else.
But where would he go? Lakers with LeBron? That would be odd. I say more likely the Knicks to see if he can carry a team on his own or be the guy that draws others to the Knicks be the Catalyst. We shall see.
Lakers (3yr deal w opt out after 2), win at least 1 Championship, then go to the Knicks.
KD is going nowhere…
Your statement means nothing. Give Me a Reason.
Rings. Money.
I’ll go by what Durant thinks of he Bay area, his teammates, and Steve Kerr. He loves them. Until he comes out himself and says different, I’ll take it he’s staying. When Kerr and Durant got ejected from Monday night’s exhibition, Curry and Durant were all over the Kerr bandwagon. They have all said they like their situation because they care about each other. Durant says the championships “are just a cherry on the top.” Curry says they want to win as many championships as they can.
Rarely do you see the media saying that Thompson and Durant would like to win a championship in their new arena. Something to think about.
Great points Ptn18.
Durant articles to read. 1) Warriors gm says he’ll give KD whatever he wants. link to cbssports.com June 15,2018
2) Kevin Durant says Warriors aren’t a superteam, lists teammates that nobody wanted (nobody wanted Curry, Klay, or Draymond in the draft. Not mentioned: Portland took Greg Oden over KD.) link to cbssports.com June 12, 2018
link says it has been moved or deleted. Google Warriors gm says he’ll give KD whatever he wants. CBS, June 15. Google Kevin Durant says Warriors aren’t a superteam, lists teammates that nobody wanted. June 12, 2018
link to cbssports.com
Here’s how I do it in the Brave or Chrome browsers. 1.Get the page, 2.tap the three dots to go into history (browser history), 3.long press the top (current) entry, 4.tap the 3 dots & pick “copy link”, 5.go to HR & long press in the entry box & pick “paste” in the popup menu, 6.hit publish.
Other browsers may vary.
Most of them make it hard to get the full URL highlighted for copying from the URL box, IDKY.
Knicks!!!
Kevin Durant can’t even handle it when teenagers talk trash to him on Twitter. How do you think he would do after a bad game in the harshest media market in the world? If he knows what’s best for him, he stays put and helps the Dubs cement themselves as the second greatest NBA dynasty ever behind Russell’s Celtics.
As a Warriors fan, the only team that I see as a potentially viable threat to attract KD (away from the Dubs) next season is the Wizards. KD’s hometown team. I think maybe he wants to eventually play for the DMV. But I’m not so sure they have the roster or the cap room to accommodate him — and the level of competitiveness he’d desire.
I don’t claim to know all the NBA cap complexities. So, if KD wanted full max, could Oubre Jr. be sent as part of the package for a sign-and-trade with Durant? Huh.
I think he’s going to go to the Knicks, and NY will love him.
Tricky situation that I see 3 possible outcomes:
– Stay; However if he stays and gets paid, I’m not sure how the Dubs retain Draymond and Klay as well. Would he want to get paid and not win as easily? Another team friendly contract to keep the team intact is more difficult to foresee.
-Knicks; Take a struggling team on his back in the brightest of lights. He and KP would be the new Twin Towers. Fizdale doesn’t hurt.
-Lakers; Probably the longest shot, but he would have fun on that team with LeBron and likely be the new favorite in the west.
KD will get $40mm a year from Warriors next summer. Another $30mm from Nike. He’ll be playing in a new arena with the best team of the decade. He’s not unhappy. The Warriors can afford to pay the luxury tax. See article from The athletic last week.
You can’t compare KD’s situation to LeBron. KD just turned 30, LeBron 34. LeBron has 1 or maybe 2 contracts left. KD has 2 or maybe 3. KD can enjoy the Warriors for 4 or 5 more years. Like The Athletic article said, they can afford Klay and Draymond too.
Just because they can doesn’t mean they will. I can see them ponying up a truckload of money (sorry Isiah Thomas) for the first year or two of the new arena. But not for 4 or 5 years. The repeat offender tax would kill them for a decade.
Steph says he wants to retire a Warrior. Klay says he wants to retire with Steph. Draymond says he plans on sticking around for a long while. KD will be Bird eligible for first time next summer allowing him to sign the max, and Klay says he’ll take the hometown discount. HoopsRumors recently covered the Warriors financial situation in an article by “The Athletic” and written by Kawakami on July 22. It’s called “Here’s why the Warriors aren’t too stressed about a potential $300 million player payout in a few years.” It says the Warriors can afford it. The Warriors know everyone is afraid of them. They also know, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Beating the dead horse.
1.The Lakers will be a more attractive option when it becomes clearer that Lebron is fun to run with.
2.His legacy would improve by not riding the coattails of the established splashBros/Hamptons5.
3.If he wanted to move somewhere, the GSW FO might be generous enough to go along– (and coordinated enough, as opposed to Wolves)!
If I were to put money on the line though, I’d go with stays, and moves out later.