The Golden State Warriors with Kevin Durant were an unstoppable force that won the title in 2017 and 2018, and we can debate over a beer what would have happened in 2019 if they had stayed healthy.
Is it time for a reunion?
It’s a long shot, but Marc Spears of Andscape and ESPN said on ESPN radio the Warriors are a team to “keep an eye on” in the Durant sweepstakes. Then he posted this on Twitter.
It’s no surprise to me that Warriors have interest in Kevin Durant, according to sources. So does more more than half the league. It’s KEVIN DURANT. You better make the call if you’re an NBA GM. It’s KEVIN DURANT.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 3, 2022
In his radio interview, Spears suggested a Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins trade for Durant. However, the Nets can’t trade for Wiggins without first trading away Ben Simmons, because they can’t have two players on designated rookie contracts that they traded for on the roster at the same time. (The only way to make the trade work without Wiggins is to include Klay Thompson or Draymond Green, which isn’t happening.)
In general, how high the Nets are on that deal depends on how high they are internally on Kuminga, Wiseman, and Poole, plus how many draft picks are thrown in.
Would the Nets be higher on that than a Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby with picks offer out of Toronto? They probably would be if Scottie Barnes replaced Siakam in the offer. There are still the Suns with a Deandre Ayton-based offer, although the latest buzz is the Nets are not thrilled with the idea of paying Ayton a lot of money in a sign-and-trade and are looking at a third team.
Also, how would Durant react? With four years on his contract Durant may not have leverage, but an unhappy Durant could be a disruptive force on a team.
Spears is right about this: Every front office in the league should have a meeting and discuss a Durant trade. It may not make sense for that team right now (rebuilding Oklahoma City, for example), but they should discuss it.
And the Warriors are smart enough to at least test the waters.