Getty Images Stephen Curry and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors celebrate with Kevin Durant.
The Kevin Durant rumor mill continues to churn, with the Golden State Warriors being featured as a prominent player in the mix for the former MVP.
The latest tidbit linking Durant to his former team comes from Chris Broussard, who says he’s hearing rumblings that the 12-time All-Star wants to reunite with the Warriors.
“I said this on ‘The Herd’ shortly after KD’s trade request, somebody texted me, a good source, that Kevin Durant doesn’t want to play with Kyrie [Irving] and that he wants to go to Golden State,” Broussard said on Thursday’s episode of “First Things First.”
“I didn’t put too much bass in my voice because like Nick [Wright] said, it’s hard to believe. I haven’t confirmed it with Kevin Durant or his agent. So, I am strongly leaning towards not believing that. But is it an impossibility? No.”
Broussard followed up the clip with a tweet that read: “Hard to believe, but there are rumblings.”
Landing with the Warriors would make sense for Durant, who wants to add more titles to his already Hall of Fame resume. He won a pair with the Dubs from 2016-18 and is still one of the best players in the game.
Despite a disappointing season in Brooklyn — getting swept in the first round — Durant averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season.
Warriors Would Have to Give Up Young Pieces for Durant
While it’s clear that Durant would make the Warriors the preeminent favorite alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thomspon, Golden State would have to give up a mighty haul that would likely include Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and other young pieces vital to both the team’s depth and future.
“The Warriors have several young assets on paper, including Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody, but Golden State would be reluctant to give up all these assets in a Durant trade proposal,” Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype reported on July 12.
While the idea of Durant landing back with the Warriors still seems like a bit of a pipedream, noted insiders — including ESPN’s Brian Windhorst — insist the conversation is ongoing.
“There’s legitimate sources in the league telling me that it’s a discussion,” Windhorst said during a July 13 appearance on the “Dan Patrick Show”. “First off, the Warriors always believe in open throttle. The Warriors have shown they don’t care what they spend. … This has been a discussion inside the Warriors organization. [Steph] Curry’s been asked about it, and Curry gave a nonanswer. But he didn’t shut it down. He didn’t say, ‘Hell no.’”
Steph Curry Downplayed Idea of Durant Trade
It was previously reported by Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic that the Warriors’ stars were informed of a possible trade and open to the possibility. However, Curry sounded like he’s not getting ahead of himself and backed the current roster construction that just won them a fourth title in eight years.
“The rumor mill and all that stuff is part of the nature of the NBA and league,” Curry told NBC Sports Bay Area while playing in the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. “You take it for what it is. You know how quickly things can change, but I like where we’re at.”
The Warriors are distant on the list of odds for Durant, coming in at +1400, per DraftKings. The Suns are still the favorite at -105, although those odds were before they matched the offer sheet for big man Deandre Ayton for $133 million on Thursday, making their path to Durant a little more complicated.