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Rumors and speculation be damned, the Golden State Warriors are absolutely in the conversation to trade for Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant along with Seth Curry.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst appeared on ESPN’s morning show, “Get Up,” on July 11 and said that the Warriors cannot be ruled out of the Durant sweepstakes, particularly because both superstar Steph Curry and owner Joe Lacob have had opportunities to shut down the possibility of a trade for him and have refused to do so.
“Steph Curry has the kind of clout where he could shut this down, but he’s not, and Joe Lacob is not,” Windhorst said.
Windhorst doubled down on his comments during a segment on the July 13 episode of “The Dan Patrick Show.”
“There’s legitimate sources in the league telling me that it’s a discussion,” Windhorst said. “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,” he added.
With Golden State’s combination of young talent and draft picks, the franchise has arguably the most attractive package to offer the Nets in exchange for Durant. The question is: What are the Dubs willing to part with, and will it be enough?
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Warriors’ Trade Proposal Would Unite Curry Brothers in Golden State
GettyBrothers Stephen Curry (left) of the Golden State Warriors and Seth Curry, formerly of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report laid out the massive haul Golden State might be forced to offer the Nets if they hope to secure Durant for a second time around. It would include Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins and a first-round draft pick. Along with Durant, the Dubs would also retain the services of the younger Curry brother in this proposal.
Buckley made his case in an article published on Thursday, July 14.
While Durant’s exit from the Warriors in 2019 had its awkward moments, it apparently didn’t burn any bridges. Multiple sources told The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II that if Golden State could bring Durant back, the locker room would welcome him with open arms.
That’s the crux of this entire conversation. You could easily make the argument the Dubs don’t need Durant. However, it’d be just as easy to suggest the champs would be better off by rostering one of the greatest scorers this league has ever seen.
The cost would (obviously) be massive, but again, you’re talking about an all-time great who hasn’t lost a step. If the Warriors could also manage to sneak Seth Curry into the deal, they’d help offset some of the second-team firepower they’d be sending out.
One area of complexity that Buckley avoided delving into is the Warriors’ inability to trade Wiggins to the Nets because on an obscure NBA rule, the same one that won’t allow the Miami Heat to send Bam Adebayo to Brooklyn in a deal for Durant.
In short, both Wiggins and Adebayo are playing on maximum extensions off of their rookie deals. An NBA franchise is allowed to have two such players on its roster, but only one of them can be acquired via a trade. This means that either the Warriors or the Heat would need to find a third team in order to include Wiggins or Adebayo, respectively, in a deal for Durant.
Wiggins is crucial to any trade for Durant the Warriors might make because of the more than $30 million he will earn next season, as NBA trades require salaries of players moved to match up approximately with the other player, or players, for whom they are traded.
Warriors May Trade for Durant Out of Fear of Rival Team Landing Him
GettyKevin Durant drives against Jimmy Butler during a game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat.
When Durant requested a trade out of Brooklyn on June 30, he mentioned only the Heat and the Phoenix Suns as his preferred destinations. The Warriors, presumably, would be high on that list as well, considering he chose to play there in 2016 upon his exit from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Exactly how hot or cold the Dubs are on another stint with Durant is unclear, though Heavy.com’s Steve Bulpett reported that league sources believe Golden State may try to trade for their former star simply to keep him out of a rival’s jersey.
“I think they’re worried about where [Durant] might wind up,” an NBA executive told Bulpett. “[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 [Durant]. 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.”