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The future of the Brooklyn Nets has daunted the franchise for the entire NBA free agency period thus far. After Kevin Durant requested a trade from the team, less than one year removed from signing a 4-year, $198 million max contract extension, most believe that there is a chance that he could be on his way out of Brooklyn.
If the Nets do decide to pull the trigger on a trade that sends Durant out of town, a reunion with his former team, the Golden State Warriors, is possible.
“It’s no surprise to me that Warriors have interest in Kevin Durant, according to sources,” ESPN’s Marc J. Spears tweeted on July 3.“So does more than half the league. It’s KEVIN DURANT. You better make the call if you’re an NBA GM. It’s KEVIN DURANT.”
Based on how it ended, a Durant, Warriors reunion might be one of the most anticipated in sports history. However, one anonymous NBA executive told Heavy’s Steve Bulpett, that the Warriors’ interest in a reunion with Durant is not necessarily about needing him on the roster. It is more about keeping him away from other competitors that would put their chances of a repeat in jeopardy.
“I think they’re worried about where KD might wind up,” the executive said.
“ [The Warriors] are in a good spot. They’ve got young guys behind their veterans, and they could be really good for a long time, so I’m not sure they really want KD. But I think they’re worried he might go someplace and beat them — if that team isn’t all depleted from what they have to do to get him.”
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Exec on KD, Warriors Reunion: ‘They’d Take KD in a Heartbeat’
After Durant’s departure for the Nets in 2019, and a slew of catastrophic injuries to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry, the Warriors were able to get back to the mountaintop this season after beating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
Golden State will find themselves in familiar territory next season, going from being the hunter to the hunted. Every team has spent this offseason improving their rosters in hopes of taking their crown away next June.
And in the midst of that, the Warriors have gotten worse after parting ways with key role players in Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II. Another high-ranking NBA executive told Bulpett that if the opportunity presented itself, the Warriors would not hesitate on a trade that landed Durant back in Golden State.
“Oh, I think they’d take KD in a heartbeat. They want to make sure they win more championships with the veterans they have. They want to squeeze more out of this core,” the executive said to Bulpett.
“You never know what can happen down the line, so when you have a chance to win, you have to do everything you can to get it. Look at all the injuries they had to get over from the last couple of years to win this time.”
Nets Face Grim Reality With Potential Durant Deal
Nets owner Joe Tsai and general manager Sean Marks have been adamant about being prepared to keep Durant if they don’t get an overwhelmingly great offer. But the reality is that Durant is on the wrong side of his 30s and injury prone. And though every team is dying to have him on their roster, the reality is that no one can realistically meet the requirements of what the Nets front office considers a fair trade package.
“Everybody would love to have him, but almost no one has enough to get him. And I’ll bet you right now that the team that does get him will have to get a third team involved to make the trade work,” one general manager told Heavy Sports.
“Brooklyn is asking for more than really anyone can give. I’m not [sure] if anyone will meet their price, but I guess they’re hoping someone will get creative and get them the quality player — or players — and picks they want.”
Trade talks involving Durant have taken a brief pause, which has grown speculation that both Irving and Durant could still be on the Nets roster at the start of training camp. If they can buy in, Brooklyn could be among the top title contenders in 2022.
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