Getty Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets, who was linked to the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors are 0-8 on the road so far this season, putting their overall record at 6-9, which is good for 12th in the Western Conference. Bob Myers has already stated that they won’t take drastic measures just yet, but if they did decide to, a trade for Kevin Durant could be an option.
With Durant’s recent comments about the Brooklyn Nets, there’s no guarantee that he finishes the season with the team. If they decide to trade him, a Warriors package could be enticing. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report suggested a potential deal.
Here’s a rough outline of the proposed trade:
Warriors receive: Durant
Nets receive: James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody
Third team: Draymond Green
Obviously, there would be a bunch of other moving pieces in the deal, as the third team would have to give up assets, and picks would almost certainly be involved too. That being said, this rough framework would land Durant in Golden State alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Given the Warriors’ struggles so far this year, as well as the impending decision regarding Green’s contract, it’s not too crazy to think that they’d consider such a move.
Pincus Points Out Flaw
For all the good that this trade would bring the Warriors, however, there is a very clear downside. Green has been an essential part of their gameplan for years, and giving him up, even for a player such as Durant, would see them abandon their playstyle to a degree.
Add in the fact that they’d be giving up a huge chunk of their young core, and this trade becomes a lot to handle.
“Green and all three young players (the Warriors can also include a 2028 or 2029 first-round pick) is a big ask, given the team’s efforts to straddle winning and rebuilding.
“And Green remains the quarterback of the Warriors’ defense and a fundamental part of how the team functions,” Pincus wrote.
So far this season, Green has appeared in 13 of the Warriors’ 15 games, playing 30.0 minutes per contest. He’s averaging 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.6 assists on 53.7% shooting from the field and 21.4% shooting from behind the three-point line.
Warriors Stars ‘On Board’ With Moving On
Parting ways with Green would be a major move for the Warriors, but according to sources who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, Curry and Thompson may be “on board” with the idea.
“If Draymond had been a good soldier all the way, maybe they plan to work it out with him. But everything that happened gave them the opening to move on from him, and the other guys are going to be OK with it,” the executive told Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney. “Individually, I am not sure anyone would say Steph or Klay is fed up or anything, but the organization is more in a position to move on from him, and you have to think that would not be the case if they did not think Steph and Klay were on board.”
Again, Myers has stated that the team won’t be making any moves at the moment, but down the road, this type of deal could be something to consider.
