Kevin Durant has a big decision to make in a few weeks: Re-sign with the Warriors on a massive five-year contract, or leave and sign elsewhere for four years.
That's now all on hold in the wake of the Achilles injury he suffered Monday night during the second quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto.
NBC Sports NBA Insider Tom Haberstroh believes the injury could put a third scenario on the table: Durant exercising his player option and staying with the Warriors for the 2019-20 season.
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"There are three reasons to believe Kevin Durant will be back with the Warriors next season," Haberstroh said on SNC: Warriors Playoff Central. "One, he has a player option for $31.5 million. Two, they just rehabbed DeMarcus Cousins back from an Achilles tear. And three, he's been with this team for three years, and they have all his medical information, they know him inside and out, and if he joins a new team, he almost has to start from scratch from the medical side and relationships with the medical teams.
"So, if you're Kevin Durant and you're suffering a devastating injury, you might look back at the Warriors and say, 'Look, I can rehab this entire year, re-enter the market next year, and they've got a system in place they just had DeMarcus Cousins come back from.' "
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ESPN reported that the Warriors fear Durant tore his right Achilles tendon. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to confirm the severity of the injury.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors were able to hold off the Raptors in Game 5 without him, and they'll now have to win two more without the two-time NBA Finals MVP.